VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday. He was 88.
Bells tolled in church towers across Rome after the announcement,
which was read out by Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo,
from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived.
“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,″ Ferrell said.
Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital
on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double
pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy.
Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff who ministered with a charming, humble style, dies at 88
Updated 2:31 AM PDT, April 21, 2025
At the Vatican on Monday, the mood was a mix of somber quiet among
people who knew and worked for Francis, and the typical buzz of tourists
visiting St. Peter’s Square on the day after Easter. While many
initially didn’t know the news, some sensed something happening given
the swarms of television crews. . .
The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, wiped tears from his eyes as he met with journalists in the press room.
The death now sets off a weekslong process
of allowing the faithful to pay their final respects, first for Vatican
officials in the Santa Marta chapel and then in St. Peter’s for the
general public, followed by a funeral and a conclave to elect a new
pope.
