Just one day after Catholics and Christians around the world celebrated Easter, many are mourning the loss of a different powerful religious figure. Pope Francis has passed away at 88 years old at 1:30 am EST on April 21.
He reigned over the Roman Catholic Church in the Vatican City for just over 12 years, and had been present at Easter service and celebrations just hours before he passed.
Pope Francis had recently experienced poor health, battling double pneumonia that left him hospitalized for 5 weeks, from Feb. 14 to March 23. No official cause of death has been released, but it is presumed he passed from complications of the pneumonia.
Pope Francis was known as a revolutionary leader within the Catholic Church, commonly speaking outward about political uprisings of the world. He had most recently denounced the Trump administration, speaking against the deportations in America. Vice President J.D. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, met with the pope only 7 hours before he passed.
The world is mourning Pope Francis, with many leaders speaking outward about his legacy on not just the Church, but the world. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota spoke about the Pope on X.
“We will greatly miss the Pope: a voice for the voiceless. The one time I saw him pray for and address the gathered at St. Peter’s Square, when he finished he did what he always did—he greeted and blessed those with disabilities first.”
As practiced for hundreds of years, the pope will be replaced through a process called ‘the conclave’ where a new male will be selected to serve. While technically any baptized Catholic male can be elected, Popes are commonly chosen from the College of Cardinals, a group of Senior Bishops and Advisors within the Catholic Church. Since 1378, all chosen popes have been from the College of Cardinals.
Pope Francis was the first non-European Pontiff to rule in almost 1,300 years, a position he did not take lightly. Pope Francis will be remembered as a trailblazer for the Catholic Church, using his position to speak on worldly issues and advocate for peace in all nations.
