Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. His death followed a cerebral stroke and irreversible heart failure, after a prolonged illness that included a respiratory infection worsening into pneumonia
. He passed away at the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta, where he had resided during his papacy
. Following his death, a series of age-old Vatican protocols and ceremonies were set into motion. The papal chamberlain, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, confirmed and announced the death, sealed the pope's residence, and destroyed the papal fisherman's ring to symbolize the end of his authority
. A nine-day mourning period called the novemdiales began, during which daily masses were held, and Pope Francis’s body lay in an open coffin at St. Peter's Basilica for public homage
. Pope Francis had expressed a wish for a simple burial, requesting his mortal remains be laid to rest in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, departing from the more ornate traditional papal funerals
. His death also initiated preparations for the conclave, where the College of Cardinals will convene to elect his successor, continuing the centuries-old tradition of papal succession
. In summary, Pope Francis passed away after serious health complications, and his death has triggered the Vatican’s formal mourning and transition processes, culminating in the election of a new pope
