By Devin Watkins & Earnest Kivumbi Benjamin

Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.

At 9:45 AM, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, officially announced the Pope’s passing with the following statement:

“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”

Pope Francis had been hospitalized at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic on Friday, February 14, 2025, following several days of bronchitis. His condition gradually deteriorated, and by February 18, doctors had diagnosed him with bilateral pneumonia.

After spending 38 days in the hospital, he returned to Casa Santa Marta to continue his recovery. Despite efforts by medical staff, his health continued to decline in the weeks that followed.

The Pope had a long history of respiratory issues. In 1957, while in his early 20s, Jorge Mario Bergoglio underwent surgery in Argentina to remove part of a lung damaged by a severe infection. In later years, he frequently battled respiratory illnesses, notably canceling a planned visit to the United Arab Emirates in November 2023 due to influenza and lung inflammation.

In April 2024, Pope Francis approved a revised edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the liturgical book for papal funeral rites. This updated version will serve as the guide for his own funeral, the details of which have yet to be announced.

The new edition introduces several changes, including the immediate transfer of the Pope’s body to a coffin following the confirmation of death in the chapel rather than in the room where he passed away.

Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Apostolic Ceremonies, noted that Pope Francis had requested a simpler funeral rite focused on the Church’s faith in the Resurrection.

“The renewed rite,” said Archbishop Ravelli, “seeks to emphasize even more clearly that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ—not that of a worldly figure of power.”