Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88, and the Vatican announced it on April 21, 2025.
His death came a day after a brief appearance to the thousands who gathered at St. Peter’s Square for the Vatican’s outdoor Easter Sunday Masa.
Details of Pope Francis and what’s going on now:
Who was Pope Francis?
Born in Jorge Mario Bergolio on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
He later chose Francis as his name to honor St. Francis of Assisi.
Francis was declared Pope on March 13, 2013, and after his predecessor, Benedict XVI, became the leader of 1.4 billion Roman Catholics around the world after becoming the pope to resign for the first time in 600 years.
Francis challenged the customs that followed before him. He sought a more transparent Vatican, leading to public concern and engaged with other faiths.
In his Christmas speech in 2024, Francis condemned the serious humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying, “May there be a ceasefire, hostages will be released and aid to those exhausted by hunger and war.”
He repeats his message of concern over Gaza in his speech at Easter Mass one day before his death. A brief appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Cathedral on Sunday, he condemned the “deplorable humanitarian situation” caused by Israel’s 18-month war on Palestinian territory.
Francis also formed a Cardinals advisory board and launched an investigation into the Vatican Bank. This was accused of money laundering and corruption.
He has pledged to investigate the abuses of the church and establish the first Pope Committee to investigate it. He also launched a global system for Catholics to report cases of abuse and cover-up.
However, critics accused the Pope of being opposed to reforms that would have addressed the issue of clergy sexual abuse.
What caused the Pope’s death?
Pope Francis has experienced severe complications in recent weeks after a double pneumonia match he spent five weeks in the hospital.
He was admitted to a Rome hospital on February 14th due to bronchitis, which had been diagnosed 10 days ago, but continued to preside over the general audience and outdoor mass.
He was released on March 23rd and expected to gradually resume his duties.
What do we know about funerals, burials, and the next day?
The passing of the Pope marks the beginning of nine days of mourning, known as Novendiale.
His body is dressed in the Pope’s clothing and is placed in the Cathedral of St. Peter for public viewing. Hundreds and thousands line up to pay respect.
This can usually occur after the Pope dies.
Location and timing
The funeral will likely be held in St. Peter’s Square, with services led by the dean of Cardinals University. His current dean is Giovanni Batista Les, 91.
Who will be attending?
High-ranking officials from around the world will attend Pope’s funeral mass.
Pope John Paul II passed away in April 2005, and his funeral became one of the largest gatherings of world leaders in history.
Participants included four kings, five queens, and around 70 presidents and prime ministers.
In total, about 4 million people attended the funeral.
Funeral Mass
Daily prayer services and the masses of Requiem are held in Catholic churches and St. Peter’s Cathedral all over the world.
burial
Burial usually takes place 4-6 days after death.
The previous Pope was buried in three coses: Cypress, Lead and Elm, one placed inside the other.
However, Francis hopes to be buried in one co, made of wood and zinc. Francis’ predecessors were also buried in paper scrolls, or Logito, who spoke about their lives and the Pope.
The Pope is traditionally buried in a Vatican cave at a lower level of the Cathedral of St. Peter. Not all Popes are buried there, but there are nearly 100 people, including Benedict XVI, Francis’ predecessor, who passed away in 2022.
However, in a 2023 interview, Francis said he wanted to be buried in Santa Maria Magia Magiore, Esculino, Rome.
Only seven Popes were buried here, and the last was Clement IX in 1669.
New Pope election
After the Pope’s death, the Vatican enters a transitional period called the Sede Bacante or Interregnum.
Approximately 15-20 days after the Pope’s death, the Cardinal SE, under the age of 80, is invited to the sealed Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City to elect a new Pope through a secret vote.
Voting takes place in up to four rounds per day until a candidate wins two-thirds of the vote. If there is no decision after the 33 rounds of vote, the top two candidates will face off on a leaked vote.
The votes are burned down, and with each failed vote, Black Smoke is released from the Sistine Chapel.
When the next Pope is successfully elected, white smoke appears from the chapel.
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