Pope Francis dies at the age of 88

Pope Francis has died. He was 88 years old.

The Pontiff passed away just hours after greeting the faithful on Easter Sunday in St. Peter’s Square.

It follows several months of illness.

The Pope died on the morning of April 21 at 7.35am at his home, the Casa Santa Marta, within the precincts of the Vatican City.

Less than 24 hours earlier, he had appeared on the balcony at St. Peter’s for his Urbi et Orbi message. He greeted the crowds before passing the message to be read by Archbishop Diego Ravelli. The Pope’s last message to the world was that love has triumphed over hatred.

Mourning is now under way in the Vatican and among millions of Catholics around the world.

The Pope was elected in March 2013 and was the first South American to become Pontiff.

A State Funeral will be held at the Vatican City with world leaders expected to attend.

Following that, the election of a new Pope will begin with cardinals meeting in conclave to choose a successor.

Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina and ordained as a priest in 1969. However, he had joined the Jesuits in 1958 after recovering from a severe case of pneumonia which required surgery to remove part of his lung.

He became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was made a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He became Pope on March 13 2013 after being chosen by cardinals to succeed Benedict XVI who had abdicated. The new Pontiff took the name of Francis in honour of St. Francis of Assissi.

Pope Francis was known for his humanitarianism and for a more liberal attitude towards women and same sex relationships within the Catholic Church. He eschewed many of the trappings of the Papacy and encouraged Catholics to look after those in need. However, he faced criticism from more conservative Catholics and wider questions around how the Church handled allegations of abuse.

He remained popular with many ordinary Catholics for his down to earth approach and his dedication to the most needy in society.

Pope Francis, December 17 1936 – April 21 2025