Pope Francis has died: Cause of death, burial location, funeral and other fresh updates emerge

• Pope Francis, calved Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died connected April 21, 2025, astatine the property of 88—just a time aft delivering his last Easter connection calling for bid successful Gaza
• The Vatican has begun the accepted nine-day mourning play known arsenic Novendiale, with planetary preparations for his funeral, burial, and the eventual predetermination of a caller pope
• Francis, the archetypal Latin American pope and a reformist, chose to beryllium buried successful a azygous woody and zinc coffin, breaking from centuries of papal tradition

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has implicit 2 years of acquisition covering governmental parties and movements.

Pope Francis connected Monday, April 21, 2025, reportedly died astatine the property of 88.

The Vatican announced his decease came 1 time aft a brief appearance to thousands gathered successful St Peter’s Square for the Vatican’s open-air Easter Sunday mass.

Pope Francis assed distant connected Monday, April 21, 2025. Photo credit: Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
Source: Getty Images

Here is much astir Pope Francis, and what happens now:

Who was Pope Francis?

He was calved Jorge Mario Bergoglio successful Buenos Aires, Argentina, connected December 17, 1936.

He aboriginal chose Francis arsenic his sanction to honour Saint Francis of Assisi.

According to reports, Francis was declared pope connected March 13, 2013, becoming the person of the world’s 1.4 cardinal Roman Catholics aft his predecessor, Benedict XVI, became the archetypal pope to resign successful 600 years.

Francis challenged the conventions followed by pontiffs earlier him. He pushed for a much transparent Vatican, connected to the concerns of communal radical and engaged with different faiths.

During Christmas code successful 2024, Francis denounced the sedate humanitarian concern successful Gaza, saying:

“May determination beryllium a ceasefire, whitethorn the hostages beryllium released and assistance beryllium fixed to the radical worn retired by hunger and by war.”

He repeated his connection of interest for Gaza successful his code astatine the Easter 2025 mass, a time earlier his death.

According to AlJazeera, Francis besides assembled an advisory assembly of cardinals and launched a probe into the Vatican Bank, which was accused of money laundering and corruption.

He promised to analyse religion abuses, establishing the archetypal papal committee to look into that. He besides launched a planetary strategy for Catholics to study cases of maltreatment and cover-ups but faced criticism.

What was the origin of the Pope’s death?

Newly elected Pope Francis I waves to the waiting assemblage from the cardinal balcony of St Peter's Basilica connected March 13, 2013. Photo credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Legit.ng earlier reported that Pope Francis was hospitalised for 3 weeks owed to treble pneumonia. He was said to person received respiratory therapy but showed constricted signs of improvement.

He was admitted to infirmary in Rome connected February 14, 2025, for bronchitis, which helium had been diagnosed with 8 days anterior but helium continued to preside implicit wide audiences and an outdoor mass.

He was released connected March 23, 2025, with expectations that helium would resume his duties gradually.

What to cognize astir the funeral, the burial and the adjacent days?

Reports disclosed that the pope’s passing marks the opening of 9 days of mourning called the Novendiale.

His assemblage volition beryllium dressed successful papal vestments and placed successful St Peter’s Basilica for nationalist viewing. Hundreds and thousands of radical enactment up to wage their respects.

Here is what typically happens aft a pope passes away.

Location and timing

The ceremonial volition apt instrumentality spot successful St Peter’s Square, with a work led by the dean of the College of Cardinals. The existent dean is Giovanni Battista Re, 91.

Who attends?

Dignitaries from each implicit the satellite be the ceremonial wide for the pontiffs.

However, it is important to enactment that Pope John Paul II died successful April 2005, his ceremonial becoming 1 of the largest gatherings of satellite leaders successful history.

The attendees included 4 kings, 5 queens and astir 70 presidents and premier ministers.

In total, astir 4 cardinal radical attended the funeral.

Funeral mass

Daily supplication services and requiem masses volition beryllium held successful Catholic churches worldwide and astatine St Peter’s Basilica.

Burial

The burial typically takes spot 4 to six days aft the death.

Previous popes person been buried successful 3 coffins, cypress, pb and elm, placed 1 wrong the other.

However, Legit.ng reported that Pope Francis erstwhile said a wooden casket would aboveground aft his death, and the clip they were to hide him.

The Vatican said that the precocious Francis volition forego a centuries-old.

Francis wishes to beryllium buried successful 1 coffin made of wood and zinc. Francis’s predecessor was besides buried with a insubstantial scroll, oregon a rogito, which retells their beingness and papacy.

Francis told an interrogation successful 2023 that helium wants to beryllium buried successful Santa Maria Maggiore successful Rome’s Esquilino.

The predetermination of the caller pope

After the decease of a pope, the Vatican enters a transitional play called the sede vacante oregon interregnum, wherever powerfulness is handed implicit to the College of Cardinals, but nary large decisions are made until the papacy is filled.

The cardinals are besides reportedly summoned to a gathering at the Vatican, followed by the conclave, arsenic the predetermination is known.

During the clip betwixt the Pope's decease and the predetermination of his successor, the College of Cardinals governs the Church.

About 15-20 days aft the pope’s death, cardinals nether the property of 80 convene astatine the Sistine Chapel successful Vatican City, which is sealed off, to elite the caller pontiff done a concealed ballot.

Voting takes spot successful up to 4 rounds a time until a campaigner wins two-thirds of the vote. If determination is nary determination aft 33 rounds of voting, the apical 2 candidates look disconnected successful a run-off vote.

Ballots are burned, and for each unsuccessful vote, achromatic fume is released from the Sistine Chapel.

Once the adjacent pope is successfully elected, achromatic fume emerges from the chapel.

Read much astir Pope Francis' decease here:

• Pope Francis: Peter Obi pays glowing tribute to Pontiff who died astatine 88, “A dependable for justice, unity is gone”
• 900-year-old prophecy resurfaces pursuing Pope Francis’ death, its connection released
• Pope Francis' death: List of 266 popes who person led the Catholic Church

African cardinals who whitethorn go the adjacent pope

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Pope Francis, calved Jorge Mario Bergoglio, passed distant connected Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, astatine his residence successful the Casa Santa Marta wrong Vatican City, sending shockwaves crossed the globe.

Just a time earlier his death, the Pontiff made a nationalist quality during Easter Sunday celebrations astatine St. Peter’s Square aft surviving treble pneumonia.

Two African Cardinals, Peter Turkson of Ghana and Fridolin Ambongo Besungo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo—have emerged arsenic apical contenders to win the precocious pontiff.

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Source: Legit.ng