Pope Francis Dies At 88
At 7:35 AM local time on Monday April 21, Pope Francis passed away at the Vatican at the age of 88, a day after addressing the crowd in Easter.
The cause of death was listed as a cerebral stroke that led to heart failure. His passing was announced at local time. His death has brought many tributes from world leaders such as US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic. The President will be in attendance at the funeral on Saturday, April 26, which will begin at 10:00 AM local time.
Francis’ funeral will be more simple, as he preferred a more simple casket and requested that the Funeral rites be more like a Bishop. He also will be buried at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, making him the first Pope buried outside the Vatican since Leo XIII in 1903.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Italian immigrants on December 17, 1936, the eventual Pope became a priest on December 13, 1969. He was eventually Consecrated on June 27, 1992 and created Cardinal by Pope John Paul II on February 21, 2001. A candidate in the 2005 Conclave, he lost to German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger who became Pope Benedict XVI. After Benedict XVI resigned in 2013, he was elected as the Pope, as announced by French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran.
The first Latin American, first Jesuit Pope, and first Pope Francis, he was known as a man of the people who didn’t live as lavish of a life like many of his predecessors. He was known as a Champion of the poor. He was also known for being more supportive of the LGBTQ+ community and women having authority in the Catholic Church. He was known for visiting the United States in 2015 where he visited the White House and became the first Pope to address the United States Congress.
As a result of his passing, a Conclave will be held beginning between 15 and 20 days after his death, beginning between May 6 and May 12. 135 Cardinals are slated to vote in the Conclave and two thirds must vote for any Baptized Catholic Male, usually another Cardinal as the 267th Pope.
