Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, at his residence in Vatican City. The official cause of death was a severe stroke followed by a coma and irreversible cardiac arrest
. In the months leading up to his death, Pope Francis had been dealing with significant health issues. He was hospitalized on February 14, 2025, for bronchitis, which developed into a polymicrobial respiratory infection and bilateral pneumonia. During his five-week hospital stay, he also experienced early-stage kidney failure and required mechanical ventilation at times. His condition was critical, and at one point, doctors considered stopping treatment to allow him to die peacefully, but treatment was continued
. After being discharged from the hospital on March 23, 2025, he returned to the Vatican residence to continue his recovery but remained frail. On Easter Monday morning, his health suddenly worsened due to the stroke, and he passed away peacefully without suffering undue pain. His final moments included a farewell gesture to his nurse before losing consciousness
. Pope Francis had a history of health problems, including chronic lung damage from a lung excision in his youth, knee problems, sciatica, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension, which contributed to his declining health in later years
. His death was publicly announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, and his Requiem Mass was held on April 26, 2025, with burial at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, as per his wishes
