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Pope Francis, the first man of Latin American descent to be named the head of the Catholic Church, has passed away at the age of 88.
News of the Pope’s passing was revealed in a statement from the Vatican.
“Dear brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Vatican camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell wrote.
“At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church,” the statement continued.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalized,” Farrell added.
The statement concluded, “With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the Triune God.”
Pope Francis’ cause of death
Pope Francis had been struggling with health issues for years.
In March of 2023, he was hospitalized for several days with a respiratory infection.
He recovered, but in February of 2025, he was hospitalized once again, this time for double pneumonia.
The Pope had battled respiratory illness throughout his life, having had part of a lung removed due to pleurisy in his youth.
Francis was discharged from the hospital several weeks ago and continued working until his death. He met with several world leaders, including Vice President J.D. Vance, on Easter, just hours before he passed.
No official cause of death has been revealed, but it is believed that the Pope’s passing was the result of his recent respiratory issues.
A life dedicated to service
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis assumed the role of pope in 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
He was the first Latin American and first Jesuit elected to the papacy.
Francis instituted a series of reforms, which included a new constitution for the Catholic Church.
The process of selecting a new pope, known as a conclave, will begin 15 to 20 days after Francis’ death.
Globally, over one billion Catholics are mourning the death of a man who was a spiritual leader and a source of wise counsel in rapidly changing times.
We will have further updates regarding the cause of Pope Francis’ death as new information becomes available.
