Published on 21/04/2025
Pope Francis has died at the age of 88, the Vatican has announced.
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.
The pontiff, who was Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church, became pope in 2013 after his predecessor Benedict XVI resigned. His death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement released by the Vatican.
What happens when the Pope dies?
A papal funeral has traditionally been an elaborate affair, but Pope Francis recently approved plans to make the whole procedure less complex.
Previous pontiffs were buried in three nested coffins made of cypress, lead and oak.
Pope Francis has opted for a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc.
He has also scrapped the tradition of placing the Pope’s body on a raised platform – known as a catafalque – in St Peter’s Basilica for public viewing.
Instead, mourners will be invited to pay their respects while his body remains inside the coffin, with the lid removed.
Francis will also be the first Pope in more than a Century to be buried outside the Vatican.
He will be laid to rest in the Basilica of St Mary Major, one of four major papal basilicas in Rome.
Vatican announces Pope Francis’ death – statement in full
A short while ago, His Eminence, Cardinal Farrell, announced with sorrow the death of Pope Francis, with these words: “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.
At 7:35 this morning (local time), the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church.”
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised.”
Farrell adds: “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 One and Triune God.”
Pope Francis’ Death Comes In Catholic Jubilee Year
The pontiff’s death not only follows the most important calendar event for Catholics, but falls into the special jubilee year, which comes around every 25 years.
The jubilee kicked off when the Pope opened the usually bricked-up Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica on 24 December, and sees millions of pilgrims descend on the Vatican to pass through the doorway and seek forgiveness for their sins.
Tens of thousands of Catholics had gathered for the Easter Mass in this special year.
Church of England’s Acting Head Pays Tribute
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell – who is the acting head of the Church of England – has reacted to Pope Francis’s death. The paid met in 2023.
“We saw that compellingly in Francis’s service of the poor, his love of neighbour especially the displaced, migrant, the asylum seeker, his deep compassion for the well-being of the earth and his desire to lead and build the church in new ways.
“Francis showed us how to follow Jesus and encouraged us to go and do likewise… In their humility and focus on those in the margins, those actions, his whole life, was instantly recognisable as those of one who followed Jesus.”
Archbishop Cottrell also referred to Pope Francis’s work to resolve religious differences, saying he had been “acutely aware of the divisions between our churches and how they stand in the way of seeing Jesus Christ more fully”.
And he paid tribute to his character, describing him as a “holy man of God” who was “also very human”.
I remember, in the brief times I spent with him, how this holy man of God was also very human. He was witty, lively, good to be with, and the warmth of his personality and interest in others shone out from him. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.”
