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Pope Francis Dead at 88

Monday, 21 April 2025 06:29

By Marcie Culbert X @marcieculbert

The Vatican says he passed on Easter Monday.

VATICAN CITY -The world is mourning the loss of Pope Francis.

The Vatican says he passed at 7:35 a.m. Central European Summer Time (CEST) on Sunday April 21st at the age of 88.

He suffered from chronic lung disease and even had part of one of his lungs removed when he was a young man. He was admitted to hospital for a respiratory crisis on February 14th this year, which developed into double pneumonia. This resulted in the longest hospital stay of his of his 12-year papacy, with 38 days total.

Pope Francis was the first Latin American pontiff and he was known for his humble style and concern for the poor.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell said he "taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love especially for the poorest and most marginalized."

Pope Francis last travelled to Canada in 2022, when he became the first pontiff to apologize for role the Catholic Church played in Canada's residential school system. He called it deplorable and begged forgiveness from our Indigenous population.

Flags have been flying at half-staff in Roman Catholic Italy today, and the bells of St. Peter's Basilica began tolling in Rome at 12:00 p.m. CEST. 

Vatican officials will pay their final respects once the  body of Pope Francis is transferred to the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel. The head of the Vatican health service will examine the body afterward to determine the cause of death, which will be revealed in a report later today.

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