Pope Francis and head of the Catholic Church, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died Monday morning at age 88. The Vatican announced that he died due to a stroke that put him into a coma, leading to heart failure.
“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,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, according to AP News.
Prior to his passing, Pope Francis had been battling a chronic lung disease. Having part of a lung removed in his youth, he was initially admitted into the hospital on Feb. 14, 2025 for a respiratory infection, which later developed into double pneumonia.
Pope Francis was most known for his emphasis on helping the poor, spreading peace and universal love. He was also the first Latin American pontiff, first elected in March 2013. AP News stated that many conservatives were upset by “his progressive bent, outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and crackdown on traditionalists.”
Prior to his passing, Pope Francis had met with United States Vice President JD Vance on Easter Sunday, making him one of the last world leaders to convene with the Pope. According to AP News, the visit included an exchange of kind words, gifts and opinions.
After hearing of the Pope’s passing, Vice President Vance wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.”
The Catholic Church will soon perform the papal conclave, a gathering to select the new Bishop of Rome, or Pope.
According to National Public Radio (NPR), “When a reigning pope dies, an immediate duty falls to the camerlengo, a cardinal whose title translates to ‘chamberlain.’ The camerlengo declares the pope is deceased and administers the Holy See until a successor is chosen. The current camerlengo is Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the first American in that post.”
Although unclear at the moment as to who will fill Pope Francis’ shoes, millions around the world are grieving his loss.
