Pope Francis died on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican. His death followed a prolonged hospitalization for a severe respiratory condition, including acute respiratory failure caused by viral and bacterial infections, bronchitis, and related complications such as kidney failure and bronchial spasms. Despite his frail health, he made several public appearances shortly before his death, including Easter Sunday Mass
. The Vatican announced that the immediate cause of death was a cerebral stroke that led to a coma. The exact cause has not been fully disclosed by the Vatican but is linked to his recent serious respiratory illness
. Following his death, the Vatican initiated traditional protocols, including the formal pronouncement of death by the Cardinal Camerlengo, Kevin Farrell, who also destroyed the pope's Fisherman's ring to symbolize the end of his pontificate. Pope Francis’ body was prepared for burial according to his wishes, which included a simple wooden coffin and burial outside the Vatican, at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, a departure from recent popes who were buried beneath St. Peter's Basilica. This choice reflected his desire for a modest and less ostentatious funeral
. A nine-day mourning period called Novemdiales began, during which Vatican flags flew at half-staff, and the pope lay in state to allow mourners to pay respects. The funeral was scheduled to take place four to six days after his death, likely in St. Peter's Square, attended by global dignitaries and religious leaders
. The death of Pope Francis has triggered the centuries-old process of electing a new pope, involving a conclave of the 135 cardinal electors who will convene in the Sistine Chapel to choose his successor
