WorthyNews: Pope Francis Dies At Age 88 (Update)

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

VATICAN CITY (Worthy News) – Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican confirmed Monday.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber,” announced the death of Pope Francis from the Casa Santa Marta. “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow, I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. 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,” he said.

“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.”

The Pope was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital on Friday, February 14, 2025, after suffering from a bout of bronchitis for several days. He eventually returned to the Vatican but remained frail.

Francis will be remembered as the “Pope of the poor.”

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, reportedly surprising many Church watchers who had previously considered the Argentine cleric, known for his concern for the poor, an outsider.

He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his “psychological health”

STRUGGLE WITH HEALTH

His struggle with health began already in 1957 when, in his early 20s, Jorge Mario Bergoglio underwent surgery in his native Argentina to remove a portion of his lung that had been affected by a severe respiratory infection.

As he aged, Pope Francis frequently suffered bouts of respiratory illnesses, even canceling a planned visit to the United Arab Emirates in November 2023 due to influenza and lung inflammation, according to sources familiar with his situation.

In April 2024, the late Pope Francis approved an updated edition of the liturgical book for papal funeral rites. This edition will guide the funeral Mass, which has yet to be announced.

The second edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis introduces several new elements, including how the Pope’s mortal remains will be handled after death.

The ascertainment of death takes place in the chapel rather than in the room where he died, and his body is immediately placed inside the coffin.

Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Apostolic Ceremonies, said the late Pope Francis requested that the funeral rites be simplified and focused on expressing the Church’s faith in the Risen Body of Christ.

“The renewed rite,” said Archbishop Ravelli, “seeks to emphasize even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world.”

NEW TASK

It was also the way he saw his task within the Catholic Church, which was under attack over a child sex abuse scandal and torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy and leadership.

He was elected with a clear mandate to restore order, according to Vatican insiders.

But as his papacy progressed, he faced fierce criticism from conservatives, who accused him of “trashing” cherished traditions, charges he denied.

He also drew the ire of progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2,000-year-old Church.

While he struggled with internal dissent, Francis became a “global superstar” in the eyes of many Catholics and others interested in the Christian faith.

He drew huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he tirelessly promoted “interfaith dialogue and peace,” taking the side of the marginalized, such as migrants.

He once took several migrants on board an airplane to give them shelter within the Vatican. And at his birthdays, he did not invite the rich and famous: the honorable guests were the homeless, whom he said the Church had forgotten.

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