In the year 2025, Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, at his apartment in Casa Santa Marta, which is located within the Vatican.
When Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, made the announcement that Pope Francis had passed away at the Casa Santa Marta at 9:45 in the morning, he said the following:
I must break the news to you, my dearest brothers and sisters, that our Holy Father Francis has passed away. Thank you for your support.
This morning, at 7:35, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, made his way back to the house of the Father.
Throughout his entire life, he devoted himself to serving the Lord and the Church that He had
established.
He instilled in us the importance of putting the principles of the Gospel into practice with unwavering devotion, bravery, and unconditional love, particularly for those who are underprivileged and oppressed.
“We commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God, with immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus that he set for us.”
In the later hours of Monday, Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, informed the media that the body of the deceased Pope could be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning. This would allow the faithful to pray in front of his mortal remains.
“The translation of the Holy Father’s mortal remains to the Vatican Basilica, for the veneration of all the faithful, may take place on the morning of Wednesday, April 23, 2025, according to the arrangements that shall be determined and communicated tomorrow, following the first Congregation of the Cardinals,” Mr. Bruni explained to reporters.
After suffering from bronchitis for a number of days, the Pope was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital on Friday, February 14, 2025. He had been there for several days.
The clinical condition of Pope Francis rapidly deteriorated, and on Tuesday, February 18, his doctors diagnosed him with bilateral pneumonia.
Following his stay in the hospital for a period of 38 days, the late Pope went back to his residence at the Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City to continue his recuperation.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who was in his early 20s at the time, underwent surgery in his home country of Argentina in 1957 to have a piece of his lung that had been afflicted by a serious respiratory infection removed; the procedure was performed.
As he got older, Pope Francis experienced repeated attacks of respiratory diseases.
In fact, he had to reschedule a trip to the United Arab Emirates that was scheduled to take place in November 2023 because of illnesses related to the flu and inflammation of the lungs.
An revised copy of the liturgical book for papal funeral rituals was approved by the late Pope Francis in April of 2024.
This book will serve as a guide for the funeral Mass, which has not yet been revealed.
With the release of the second edition of the Ordo Exequiarum Romani Pontificis, various new aspects have been included.
One of these new parts is the protocol for the handling of the mortal remains of the Pope following his death.
Instead of taking place in the room where he passed away, the determination of death takes place in the chapel, and his body is immediately placed inside the coffin after the confirmation of death.
The late Pope Francis had reportedly ordered that the burial procedures be streamlined and centered on demonstrating the faith of the Church in the risen body of Christ, as stated by Archbishop Diego Ravelli, who is the Master of Apostolic Ceremonies.
“The renewed rite seeks to emphasize even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world,” Archbishop Ravelli stated.
“The funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ.”
