Pope Francis dies aged 88 after double pneumonia health battle as world’s 1.4billion Catholics are plunged into mourning
POPE Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic church, has died aged 88 after fighting for his life in a “complex” health battle.
The pontiff had been hospitalised for weeks at the Gemelli hospital in Rome earlier this year after suffering a bout of bronchitis and double pneumonia.
He was discharged on March 23 after the 38-day stay, and was able to bless crowds of worshippers on Easter Sunday.
But just hours later, Vatican officials announced the leader of the Catholic Church had passed away.
Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said in a statement: “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.
“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.”
Pope Francis’ death has plunged 1.4billion Catholics across the globe into mourning.
It comes just hours after he met with US Vice President JD Vance to exchange Easter greetings at Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City.
The Pope also appeared in front of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square.
The crowd shouted and cheered as a frail-looking Francis looped through the square in his open-topped popemobile and then up and down the main avenue leading to it.
He stopped occasionally to bless babies brought up to him, just weeks after fighting for his life.
“Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!” Francis said.
Francis didn’t celebrate the Easter Mass in the piazza, delegating it to Cardinal Angelo Comastri – the retired archpriest of St. Peters Basilica.
But after the Mass ended, Francis appeared on the loggia balcony over the basilica entrance for more than 20 minutes and imparted the apostolic blessing in Latin.
The crowd of people below, estimated by the Vatican to be more than 35,000, erupted in cheers as a military band kicked off rounds of the Holy See anthem.
TRIBUTES POUR IN
Emotional tributes are pouring in for the pontiff from across the world.
The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, paid tribute to Pope Francis, saying: “A voice proclaiming the innate dignity of every human being, especially those who are poor or marginalised, is now silent.”
Vance, who is now visiting India after meeting the pope yesterday, said: “I just learned about the passing of Pope Francis.
“My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.”
Vance’s office said the vice president expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for inviting him to meet on Easter Sunday and for the hospitality the Vatican has extended to his family.
“I pray for you every day,” Vance said as he bid Francis farewell. “God bless you.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said that throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis had always sided with the most vulnerable and the most fragile, and that he did this with a lot of humility.
“In this time of war and brutality, he had a sense for the other, for the most fragile,” Macron told reporters.
Dutch PM Dick Schoof said: “Pope Francis was in every way a man of the people, the clobal catholic community bids farewell to a leader who recognised the burning issues of our day and called attention to them.”
The pontiff had was admitted to the hospital in February after suffering a severe bout of bronchitis.
His condition appeared to worsen as doctors had to change treatment for the Pope’s respiratory tract infection due to a “complex clinical situation”.
And it was then confirmed he was suffering from double pneumonia after undergoing an X-Ray.
The 88-year-old underwent blood transfusions and was described as being in a “critical” condition.
The Vatican said at the time that “the prognosis is reserved”.
Two people close to the pontiff claimed Francis told them he “might not make it this time” while he was diagnosed with severe lung disease, according to a report by Politico.
HEALTH BATTLES
Francis, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, has a history of lung problems, having had part of one lung removed due to pleurisy as a young man.
He has been hospitalised three times since becoming Pope in 2013.
He spent three days at the Gemelli hospital, which has a special suite for treating popes, in 2023 for an acute case of pneumonia.
The pontiff was rushed to hospital on 29 March, 2023, after he felt a sharp pain in his chest and experienced breathing difficulties.
He also spent nine days in the hospital, just a few months later, for abdominal surgery.
This saw doctors remove scar tissue and repair an abdominal hernia.
The Pope also had a piece of his large intestine removed in 2021 and spent 10 days in the Gemelli hospital.
‘REFORMER’ POPE
Pope Francis made history when he became the first leader of the Catholic Church from the Americas.
The 76-year-old Archbishop of Buenos Aires, who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was given his new name after he was elected to succeed Pope Benedict XVI on 13 March, 2013.
He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 17 December, 1936, to Italian immigrants.
The Argentine had worked as a bouncer before turning to the priesthood after recovering from pneumonia back in 1958.
Francis was ordained a priest on 13 December 1969 and trained in Spain for a year before moving back to Argentina.
Francis took over the role of Pope in 2014, and was seen as an outspoken moderniser, reformist and progressive.
He had championed the decriminalisation of homosexuality, warned against threats to democracy, and supported the cause of refugees.
When he became the Pope, he shunned a grand papal apartment and chose to live in a modest two-room residence.
GAME OF THRONES
Following the death of Pope Francis on the morning of Easter Monday, attention has now turned to the question of his successor.
His successor will be selected by a Conclave in an ancient and secret process that has remained unchanged for hundreds of years.
The role of head of the Catholic Church is taken on by an elected senior cardinal usually until their death which is announced via ancient smoke signals.
First, the death of the Pope has to be confirmed by a medic, their passing is only made official by the camerlengo, the Pope’s Chief of Staff.
They call out the Pope’s birth name three times and usually taps the Pontiff’s head with a silver hammer.
If these calls and actions go unanswered, the death is declared and senior church officials, notably the Cardinal Vicar of the Diocese of Rome, are informed.
The public will hear of the Pontiff’s death by seeing black smoke known as fumata nera emerge from a chimney in the Sistine Chapel.
The Pope’s ring, the Ring of the Fisherman, is also burned after being removed and crushed by the camerlengo, who will have also locked the pontiff’s apartment, desk, and cut off his telephone wires.
The decision of the sacred Conclave will later be revealed through the smoke of the chimney.
But first, there is then a period of mourning during which the Papal Vacancy is announced by the Vatican known as the Sede Vacante or “the seat is vacant”.