Hours before his death, Pope Francis appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to celebrate Easter services yesterday, as a cheering crowd of thousands gathered at the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square.
“Dear brothers and sisters, happy Easter,” he said, waving and giving his blessing.
Tiziana Fabi / AFP – Getty Images
Tiziana Fabi / AFP – Getty Images
Francis did not lead the Easter Mass, but Cardinal Angelo Comastri, a retired archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, took his place and delivered the homily that he had prepared.
During the address, Francis made a strong appeal for peace around the world, particularly in Gaza, where he said “terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction,” and called for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages.
How will Pope Francis’ successor be determined?
Pope Francis’ successor will be chosen during a conclave, a gathering of cardinals who were appointed by the pope as his most senior officials, who will now be charged with electing a new pontiff in strict seclusion at the Vatican.
Known as the College of Cardinals, this group will govern the Catholic Church during the time between the pope’s death and the election of his successor, which will be held in secrecy inside the Sistine Chapel.
Filippo Monteforte / AFP via Getty Images file
During the election, a process that can usually take several days, weeks, or months, 138 of the 252 senior cardinals will be eligible to vote for the new pope. Those excluded are over the age of 80 and can only join the debate over who should be elected. A new pope will be determined after individual cardinals cast their votes for their preferred candidate.
During this time, the cardinals burn their ballot papers to send a smoke signal twice a day to indicate how the election is proceeding. Black smoke will signal an inconclusive ballot, while white smoke will mean a new pope has been chosen.
King Charles recalls meetings with Francis ‘with particular affection’
King Charles issued a special tribute to Pope Francis, with whom he met in early April alongside Queen Camilla during the pontiff’s final weeks.
“My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis,” Charles said in a statement issued by the Royal Palace, adding, “Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry.”
King Charles III and Queen Camilla meet Pope Francis on April 9.Vatican Media
Recalling his meetings with the Pope over the years “with particular affection,” Charles said he and Camilla were “greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month.” The royal couple’s private visit to the Vatican took place on their 20th wedding anniversary on April 9, with Francis personally wishing them a happy anniversary.
“We send our most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve and to the countless people around the world who, inspired by his life, will be mourning the devastating loss of this faithful follower of Jesus Christ,” Charles added.
White House and JD Vance offer condolences day after meeting pontiff
The White House offered its condolences this morning, writing, “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis,” in a post on X accompanied by photos of the pontiff in separate meetings with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, whom he met with just yesterday.
In a separate statement earlier today, Vance shared his own tribute to the pope, whom he met with briefly in Rome yesterday to exchange Easter greetings amid growing tensions between the Holy See and the Trump administration over Washington’s immigration policies.
Pope Francis meeting with Vice-President JD Vance yesterday.AFP – Getty Images
“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill,” Vance said in a post on X. “But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful,” he said, sharing a link to Francis’ words.
“My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,” Vance added, with his meeting with the pontiff unfolding after the vice president clashed with the pope over the Trump administration’s deportation plans, which the pontiff described as a “disgrace.”
Francis ‘returned to the house of the Father’: Cardinal Kevin Farrell
Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced the death of Pope Francis, saying the pontiff “returned to the house of the Father” in the early hours of Easter Monday.
Pope battled a host of health issues toward the end of his life
Toward the end of his life, Francis suffered a number of health issues, which often forced him to rely on a wheelchair or canes.
Filippo Monteforte / AFP – Getty Images
He had been discharged from the hospital last month after not been seen in public for more than five weeks. At times, the pope had required high-flow oxygen therapy, according to the Vatican, and his changing health status captivated the world’s attention.
That recent hospitalization wasn’t Pope Francis’ first serious health challenge. In 2021, he underwent surgery for diverticulitis, a gastrointestinal condition, and again in 2023 for a hernia.
In January 2024, he appeared in a sling after injuring his right forearm in a fall at his residence. The Vatican confirmed that no bones were broken, but the tumble came weeks after the pontiff bruised his face in another fall in December, according to Reuters.
Well-wishers in St Peter’s Square slowly learn of the Pope’s death
Pilgrims who have made the trip to the Vatican on Easter Monday, some to express love and support for Pope Francis, were only slowly learning about the news of his death this morning.
One group was praying for him in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican this morning, while smiling and taking selfies — they didn’t seem to realize that the Pope has died.
To some, the Pope had looked in better shape in his unplanned appearance yesterday, as he was without the oxygen tubes he had relied on to breath after his recent hospitalization.
World leaders react to Pope Francis’ death
Condolences over the death of Pope Francis are pouring in from world leaders.
“The death of Pope Francis fills me with great sadness,” Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, said in a post on X, adding, “Francis will be remembered for his tireless commitment to the weakest in society, to justice and reconciliation. Humility and faith in God’s mercy guided him in this.”
In Israel, President Isaac Herzog sent his “deepest condolences to the Christian world and especially the Christian communities in Israel — the Holy Land — on the loss of their great spiritual father, His Holiness Pope Francis,” in a post on X, adding, “I truly hope that his prayers for peace in the Middle East and for the safe return of the hostages will soon be answered.”
In Iran, the foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also offered his condolences to Christians all over the world, according to Iranian state news agency Fars News.
Pope Francis dies at age 88
Pope Francis, a reformer from Argentina who rattled the Catholic Church’s traditionalists and inspired progressives by reaching out to gay people and championing the rights of immigrants and the poor, has died, the Vatican announced.
He was 88.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced the Pope’s death in a statement released by the Vatican during the early hours of Monday.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” the Cardinal said.