Pope Francis, the first South American and Jesuit in the history of the papacy, died at the age of 88 after a lengthy battle with double pneumonia on Monday (April 21), hours after Easter Sunday.

“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a text announcement via Vatican News. "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, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was admitted to the Agnostino Gemelli Polyclinic on February 14 after several days of suffering from bronchitis and his situation worsened as he was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia on February 18. The pope was hospitalized for 38 days before returning to the Vatican to continue his recovery.

Pope Francis' death came one day after he briefly met with Vice President JD Vance despite their public disagreements on President Donald Trump's administration's planned mass deportation of migrants. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, and the pope spent several minutes together at the Domus Santa Marta "to exchange easter greetings."

The pope, who has made caring for migrants a major focus of his papacy, warned that the Trump administration's forceful removal of migrants due to illegal status deprived them of their inherent dignity and would "end badly" and claimed nations have the right to defend themselves and keep their communities safe from criminals.

Pope Francis delegated the saying of Easter Mass to Cardinal Angelo Comastri, later being spotted taking the popemobile into St. Peter's Square for the first time since his diagnosis, which was met with "Viva il Papa" chants.

Pope Francis, a native of Buenos Aires, joined the Jesuits in 1958 and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1969, serving as the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina from 1973 to 1979 and later the archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, a cardinal in 2001 and succeeded Pope Benedict XVI following his resignation in 2013.

Kathi Yeager

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