Pope Francis, the Bishop of Rome and the supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church, who endeavored to introduce progressive influences within the global church while also preserving unity with conservatives during times of unrest, passed away on Monday morning, as announced by Vatican camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell.
He was 88 years old.
“Dear brothers and sisters, with profound sadness, I regret to inform you of the passing of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, Francis, the Bishop of Rome, returned to the Father’s house. His entire life was devoted to serving the Lord and His Church,” Farrell proclaimed.
“He taught us to embrace the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, bravery, and all-encompassing love, particularly in support of the most disadvantaged and marginalized. With tremendous appreciation for his role as a genuine follower of the Lord Jesus, we entrust the soul of Pope Francis to the boundless merciful love of the One and Triune God.”
The pope preached frequently on the Catholic virtues of mercy, kindness and humility. He did not shy away from controversy and American presidents, including Donald Trump and Joe Biden, were not immune from his views.
Less than a month into President Donald Trump’s presidency, the pontiff criticized the Republican’s plans for the mass deportations of migrants, stressing that the forceful removal of people simply for their immigration status deprives them of their inherent dignity and “will end badly.”
In a strongly worded letter to U.S. Catholic Bishops, the pope appeared to counter remarks made by Vice President JD Vance — who had recently converted to Catholicism — after he suggested Americans should care for family, communities and the country before caring about others.
“Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups,” the pontiff wrote. “Worrying about personal, community or national identity, apart from these consideration.”
Pope Francis delivers a speech during the Holy Mass with newly appointed Cardinals. (Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
In the letter, Pope Francis wrote, “The universal Church lives in and of the particular Churches, just as the particular Churches live and flourish in and from the universal Church. If they find themselves separated from the entire ecclesial body, they weaken, rot and die. Hence, the need always to ensure that communion with the whole body of the Church is alive and effective.”
Pope Francis visited dozens of countries, including the United States and Cuba in 2015 and went as far afield as Papua New Guinea, as well as visits to predominantly Muslim countries including Egypt, Morocco and Jordan.
Pope Francis struggled with health complications throughout his reign.
The pontiff dealt for many years with sciatica, a nerve condition that caused immense pain in his leg and at times hindered his ability to walk.
In 2021, Pope Francis was hospitalized for an intestinal surgery that removed 13 inches of his colon.
In March 2023, Francis was again taken to the hospital after experiencing intense chest pain and difficulty breathing. He was treated for a respiratory infection and released after antibiotic treatment.
Pope Francis is welcomed as he arrives at the Apostolic Prefecture on Sept. 1, 2023 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. According to the Vatican, the trip was Pope Francis’s 43rd Apostolic Journey abroad and 61st country visited as Pope. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
In June of the same year, the pope was brought back for another abdominal surgery to repair an incisional hernia. He was released after making a full recovery.
He took a fall at his residence and suffered a contusion on his right arm in January 2025.
In February, he was once again hospitalized after a bout of bronchitis.
Following Pope Francis’s death, the Vatican has entered a time of sede vacante — in English, “empty seat.”
The Associated Press, Reuters, and Fox News’ Annie Butterworth contributed to this report.
