At 7:35 a.m. on Easter Monday, Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88. Yesterday, Pope Francis appeared in St. Peter’s Square for Easter Sunday to bless thousands of people. One of his last meetings was with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, whom he met with to discuss his views on the Trump Administration’s immigration policy, just a couple of months after he openly rebuked the mass deportations in the United States.
Pope Francis passed away after suffering from a stroke and subsequently going into a coma and into cardiac arrest. This was just a couple of months after being hospitalized due to pneumonia, which culminated into a 38-day hospital stay for Francis in February. After being released in March, the Pope continued to be involved in church events and activities. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican Camerlengo, released this statement at 9:45 a.m. this morning:
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. 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 held his position for 13 years and was the first Latin American pontiff, coming from Argentina. Following his death, churches rang their bells in his native country. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the birth name of Pope Francis, was born on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian immigrant parents. Throughout his young adulthood, Pope Francis would study the humanities in Santiago, Chile, philosophy in Buenos Aires and teach literature and psychology.
Elisa, a parishioner at the cathedral in Buenos Aires, was in pain and shock after finding out about his passing.
“I can’t believe it,” she said, “I was trying to find out if it was true news or not…I was looking for photos of him praying, looking for videos, reviewing the video from yesterday, the blessing that I saw live. Remembering his voice.”
Elisa reflected on Francis’ time as the pope, saying: “He focused on what no one wanted to talk about or look at. He had that broad perspective. And those arms, those arms that said to everyone, everyone, everyone, it didn’t matter who they were…[He was] always advocating for children, caring for women, for those discarded, that gaze he had for everyone.”
Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, expressed his condolences at a news conference in New York today.
“[Francis was] a transcendent voice for peace, human dignity and social justice. [The UN is] greatly inspired by his commitment to the goals and ideals of our organization… our divided and discordant world will be a much better place if you follow his example of unity and mutual understanding in our own actions,” said Guterres.
Starting today and over the course of the following week, funeral arrangements and a conclave will be held to honor Pope Francis and elect his successor as the next pope.
For Biolans, it’s important to recognize that a portion of the student body is mourning the loss of their beloved church leader. Biola offers Pastoral Care and counseling for students impacted mentally, socially and spiritually by the passing of Pope Francis.
