Pope Francis Dies, Leaves Lasting Legacy

Pope Francis thanked his nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, for encouraging him to greet Easter crowds in St. Peter's Square, saying "Thank you for bringing me back to the square," according to the Vatican. Francis, 88, died on Monday from a stroke and heart failure after appearing exhausted during Easter celebrations despite being discharged from hospital just three weeks prior for double pneumonia. He spent 15 minutes waving and blessing babies from his popemobile before resting, and later fell into a coma and died at 7:35 a.m. The pope's funeral is set for Saturday at St. Peter's Basilica.

Pope Francis's funeral will take place on Saturday in St Peter's Square, with hundreds of thousands expected to attend. World leaders, including Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, have confirmed their attendance. The Pope died on Thursday after a stroke, aged 88, and his body will be taken in a procession to St Peter's Basilica on Wednesday. The funeral will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re and will start at 10:00 on Saturday. Pope Francis will be buried at Rome's Basilica of St Mary Major, breaking with tradition, and a nine-day mourning period will follow. A conclave of cardinals will then convene to elect a successor.

Pope Francis was known for his kindness and compassion, and during his 12-year papacy, he had many heartwarming and memorable moments. Some of these moments include allowing children to walk up to the altar during Mass, inviting a 12-year-old cancer survivor with Down syndrome to ride on the popemobile, and meeting "Spider-Man" Mattia Villardita, who visits children in the hospital. He also performed tricks with the Harlem Globetrotters, practiced juggling with the circus of Cuba, and petted a tiger during a jubilee for circus performers. Additionally, he blessed the eyes of a child going blind, signed a Harley-Davidson for a Christian motorcycle group, visited children in the hospital, and shared his 87th birthday cake with children at a Vatican City medical facility.

Houston Catholics gathered to mourn the death of Pope Francis, reflecting on his legacy of humility and inclusion. Parishioners at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart praised the pope's efforts to reach out to the poor, handicapped, and lonely, and noted the diversity of their community, with mass offered in 14 languages. Many saw Pope Francis as a champion of the marginalized and a symbol of the Catholic Church's commitment to helping others, with some citing his stance on immigration as a key aspect of his legacy. The Houston-Galveston Diocese, one of the largest and most diverse in the US, felt the loss deeply, with parishioners describing it as a "death in the family".

Pope Francis died on Monday at 7:35 a.m. at the age of 88 due to a cerebral stroke, coma, and subsequent irreversible heart failure, according to the Vatican. The Pope had experienced various health issues in recent years, including respiratory problems, intestinal surgery, and knee injuries that required the use of a wheelchair, walker, or cane. He was hospitalized for five weeks this winter after developing double pneumonia and had come close to dying on two separate occasions during that hospitalization.

The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis' funeral will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time in front of St. Peter's Basilica. The pope's body was placed in a simple wooden coffin on Monday and will be taken in a procession to the basilica on Wednesday, where it will lie in state ahead of the funeral. The funeral Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re and is expected to be attended by numerous world leaders, dignitaries, and high-ranking clergy. After the funeral, Pope Francis will be entombed at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, a location he had chosen. The College of Cardinals will gather for a papal conclave to elect the next pope, with eligible cardinals sealing themselves off in the Sistine Chapel to cast their votes.

Pope Francis left a last will and testament dated June 29, 2022, detailing his wishes for his burial. He requested to be interred in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, as it held sentimental value due to his practice of visiting to pray before and after his trips abroad. The will specified that his tomb should be simple, in the earth, and bear only the inscription "Franciscus." Francis also expressed his hope that his suffering in his final days be used for "peace in the world and brotherhood among peoples." He died on April 26 (Easter Monday) at the age of 86 is incorrect, the article actually does not mention his age at death as 86, it mentions 88.

Pope Francis made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, the day before his death, by celebrating Easter in St. Peter's Basilica and appearing in St. Peter's Square, where he condemned policies that marginalize vulnerable groups and called for peace in Ukraine and Gaza, despite being under doctor's orders to rest.

The first photos of Pope Francis' body lying in a casket have been released since his death on Monday at the age of 88. The images show Francis wearing red vestments and his bishop's miter in a wooden casket in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived. Cardinals have met to establish the next steps before a conclave begins to select the next pope and have set the funeral for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Square. The funeral will be celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and ordinary faithful may begin paying their final respects starting Wednesday. US President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei are expected to attend the funeral.

Vatican officials have shared Pope Francis' will, which details his burial request after he passed away from a cerebral stroke that led to heart failure. The will, written in June 2022, states that Francis wants to be buried in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a departure from traditional papal burial sites. He requested to be buried in the earth with a simple inscription: "Franciscus." The will also arranged for burial expenses to be covered by a benefactor and asked that his tomb be prepared in a specific location within the basilica. Francis died on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, after battling health complications, including bilateral pneumonia, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension.

Pope Francis' last words before his death were an expression of thanks to his personal nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, saying "Thank you for bringing me back to the Square." The Pope died on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, after falling into a coma and suffering a heart attack. Francis had shown signs of illness earlier that day and had a quiet dinner the previous afternoon after appearing in St. Peter's Square on Easter Sunday. His funeral is set for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Square.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to visit the Vatican over the next three days to pay their respects to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at 88. His body will lie in an open coffin at St Peter's Basilica from Wednesday, ahead of his funeral on Saturday. A nine-day period of mourning will follow, after which a conclave will begin to elect a new pope between May 5 and 10. World leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, Prince William, and Emmanuel Macron, will attend the funeral. The Catholic Church is mourning the loss of a pontiff who was known for his inclusive approach, leaving behind a legacy that will be remembered globally.

Pope Francis' funeral will be held on Saturday in front of St. Peter's Basilica with simpler rituals and a relatively unadorned tomb as per his wishes. The ceremony will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re and attended by thousands of worshipers and world leaders. The pope's body will lie in a single coffin, and he will be buried in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, a location he specified in his will. Francis had expressed his desire to draw the Roman Catholic Church closer to the people and had shunned many papal trappings during his papacy, favoring a humbler and more down-to-earth style.

The death of Pope Francis has renewed focus on the Catholic Church's most influential figures. Historically, some of the most prominent popes include St. Peter, the first Bishop of Rome, and Pope John Paul II, who served for three decades and oversaw significant changes in the Church. Other notable popes include Leo I, Gregory I, and Nicholas I, who were dubbed "the great" for their impact. Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582, while Pope Innocent III launched several Crusades and extended his power into personal affairs. Pope Francis was also considered influential, publishing an encyclical on the environment and critiquing Western market capitalism.

Pope Francis' 12-year papacy was marked by a significant expansion of the Catholic Church's reach into impoverished nations. He created cardinals from 24 nations that had never had one before, traveled to areas where popes rarely visited, and convened a Synodal Assembly to discuss the Amazon region and climate change. According to Tim Gabrielli, an associate professor at the University of Dayton, Pope Francis' efforts were intentional and aimed at giving a voice to overlooked regions, particularly in Africa where the church is growing rapidly. Gabrielli believes that Pope Francis' legacy will be seen in the long term through his successor, as his efforts to internationalize the church will lead to a deeper sense of the global Catholic community.

Pope Francis restricted the Traditional Latin Mass due to concerns it was being used in an ideological way, fostering division in the Church, and as a reaction against modernity. The Latin Mass, formalized by Pope St. Pius V in 1570, differs from the Vatican II mass, instituted in 1969, in that it is said entirely in Latin and the priest faces "ad orientem." Francis issued instructions, known as a "motu proprio," in 2021 and 2023, limiting the use of the Latin Mass, requiring priests to seek approval from local bishops and the Vatican, and barring newly ordained priests from saying it. He stated that his predecessor's allowances were being used "to go backward" and that the restrictions were necessary to stop "indietrismo," or a nostalgic reaction against the modern. Certain orders, such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, were exempt from the restrictions.

Pope Francis, who died at 88, was a pope of great expectations, with both liberal and conservative Catholics investing him with their most ambitious hopes and fears. Many expected him to be a pope of radical change, but while he made significant changes, he didn't meet all expectations. He allowed for discussion and debate, freed theologians to explore new ideas, and made concrete changes such as giving more latitude to local priests and bishops to allow divorced and remarried Catholics to receive communion. He also introduced cultural changes, appointed cardinals from around the globe, and improved relations with other faiths, including Islam. Francis' supporters and detractors agree that he fundamentally changed the culture of the church, even if not all of his changes were revolutionary. His legacy will be judged by the cardinals he appointed, who will now choose his successor.

Gaza's only Catholic Church has a special bond with Pope Francis, who had a nightly ritual of calling the church throughout the war for the last 18 months of his life, as reported by CNN's Jeremy Diamond after speaking to the church's priests.

Gaza's tiny Christian population is mourning the death of Pope Francis, who had maintained close contact with them throughout the 18-month war. The pope called the Holy Family Church in Gaza City every night around 8pm, speaking with church leaders and Palestinians sheltering there, offering words of comfort and calling for peace. The daily calls, which continued even when the pope was in critical condition, became a source of strength for the community, who felt they were not forgotten. The pope's messages of support and his advocacy for an end to the war helped keep the community alive, and his death has left them feeling a deep sense of loss, but also a determination to hold on to the hope and spirit he inspired.