Pope Francis Dead at 88

Pope Francis is dead.

In a statement, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, announced that the pope, age 88, had died on the morning of Easter Monday, April 21.

"Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Farrell said. “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."

In February, Francis was hospitalized with bronchitis, with doctors later diagnosing him with bilateral pneumonia. The pope was released from the hospital after 38 days, at which pointed he returned to his Casa Santa Marta residence.

On Easter Sunday, Francis delivered a hopeful and peace-oriented message at St. Peter’s Basilica during which he called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip. He also spoke of crises in other regions, underscoring his message with both a cautionary acknowledgment of evil’s presence in the world and a confidently presented argument that it “no longer has the upper hand.”

News of Francis’ death on Monday drew reactions from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Britain’s King Charles, French President Emmanuel Macron, and more.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, was widely considered a more progressive voice during his tenure, with attention now turning to whether a successor will build onto that legacy or revert to a more conservative path. During his 12 years as the head of the Catholic Church, Francis was made the subject of multiple pop culture crossover moments, including back in 2015 when a widely memed photo had everyone writing up hypothetical “pope bars.”

RIP.