Pope Francis, the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away peacefully on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at 7:35 AM CEST at his residence in the Vatican’s Domus Sanctae Marthae. The Vatican confirmed that his death was due to a cerebral stroke leading to a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he became the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit pope when elected in March 2013. His 12-year papacy was marked by humility, inclusiveness, and advocacy for social justice, including landmark encyclicals like Laudato Si’ on climate change and Fratelli Tutti on economic justice.
A solemn funeral Mass held today, Saturday, April 26, 2025, at St. Peter’s Square, attended by over 250,000 mourners, including 130 official delegations, 80 heads of state, and 10 monarchs. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the Mass.
Following his wishes for a modest burial, Pope Francis was interred at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, breaking with the tradition of papal burials at St. Peter’s Basilica.
World leaders and religious figures paid tribute to Pope Francis’s legacy. U.S. President Joe Biden described him as “a beacon of moral clarity in troubled times,” while UN Secretary-General António Guterres called him “a bridge-builder in an increasingly divided world.”
Notably, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met during the funeral proceedings, highlighting the event’s significance on the global stage.
Following the traditional nine-day mourning period known as the Novemdiales, the College of Cardinals will convene in May to elect the next pope.