Jamaine Punzalan

Pope Francis, wearing a yellow raincoat, celebrates mass amidst heavy rains and strong winds near the Tacloban Airport. Photo by Benhur Arcayan, Malacanang Photo/File

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174528479606020150117-pope-tacloban-2-MPB.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Pope Francis, wearing a yellow raincoat, celebrates mass amidst heavy rains and strong winds near the Tacloban Airport. Photo by Benhur Arcayan, Malacanang Photo/File </span></span></span></div><p>Pope Francis died of a stroke, the Vatican announced hours after the death on Monday of the 88-year-old reformer who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic Church.</p><p>The Argentine pontiff died at his Santa Marta residence in the Vatican almost a month after leaving hospital following five weeks battling double pneumonia.</p><p>One day after he greeted Easter crowds in St Peter&#x27;s Square, mourners gathered in the plaza, many in tears, to mark his passing.</p><p>&quot;He&#x27;s actually returned to the Lord -- and godspeed,&quot; Italian Cesarina Cireddu told AFP.</p><p>World leaders from US President Donald Trump to Russian leader Vladimir Putin paid tribute to the pope&#x27;s moral and spiritual leadership. Prayers were held around the world and Trump was among the first leaders to announce that they would attend the pope&#x27;s funeral.</p><p>Trump -- who drew the ire of Francis with his mass deportations of migrants -- wrote &quot;Rest in Peace&quot; in a social media post and ordered flags to be flown at half mast.</p><p>&quot;We are orphaned,&quot; said street sweeper Javier Languenari, 53, in the pope&#x27;s home city of Buenos Aires, as Argentina declared a week of national mourning.</p><p>According to the death certificate released by the Vatican, Francis died of a stroke, causing a coma and &quot;irreversible&quot; heart failure.</p><p>It also revealed he had Type 2 diabetes, which was not previously known.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/21/pope-francis-beloved-lolo-kiko-to-filipinos-has-passed-away-vatican-1603">Pope Francis, beloved ‘Lolo Kiko’ to Filipinos, has passed away: Vatican</a></div><p>The pope had seemed exhausted when being driven around St Peter&#x27;s Square on Sunday and a Vatican source said the pontiff had kept up a punishing schedule even though he knew his health was fading.</p><p>In his will, also released by the Vatican, the pope wrote that he felt that &quot;the sunset of my earthly life is approaching&quot;.</p><p>Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican official known as the Camerlengo and who now takes over the immediate running of church affairs, announced Francis&#x27;s death.</p><p>&quot;This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church,&quot; Farrell said.</p><p>The pope&#x27;s apartment was formally sealed and his body moved to a wood and zinc coffin in the Santa Marta chapel on Monday evening, the Vatican said. The coffin will be moved to St Peter&#x27;s Basilica, probably on Wednesday, to lie in state.</p><p>Cardinals will meet on Tuesday to start planning the funeral at St Peter&#x27;s Basilica, which must take place between four and six days after the death -- between Friday and Sunday.</p><p>Francis had already announced he would be buried in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. In his will, he said he wanted a simple, unadorned tomb &quot;with the only inscription: Franciscus&quot;, Francis in Latin.</p><p>The cardinals will also start preparing the conclave, where cardinals under the age of 80 will meet within three weeks to decide who will become Francis&#x27;s successor.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;TERRIBLE SHOCK&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Thousands went to St Peter&#x27;s Square, where a death knell rang out for the pope&#x27;s passing and rosary prayers were said.</p><p>Caroline Wahl, visiting from Germany, said the pope had looked &quot;weak&quot; when they saw him on Easter Sunday, adding that thinking about him now gave her &quot;goosebumps&quot;.</p><p>Bells tolled at cathedrals and churches around the world.</p><p>In Gaza, where the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, the Christian community feels &quot;as though a light of love and peace has been extinguished&quot;, said George Ayad, 67.</p><p>In Kinshasa, Madeleine Bomendje struggled to accept the news: &quot;It&#x27;s a terrible shock,&quot; she said.</p><p>The lights of the Eiffel tower in Paris were turned off on Monday night, while the Colosseum in Rome was to go dark on Tuesday.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;BEACON OF COMPASSION&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, was the first Jesuit to lead the Catholic world and the first from the Americas.</p><p>He took over from Benedict XVI -- the first pontiff since the Middle Ages to step down -- and cut a sharply different figure from the German theologian.</p><p>A football-loving former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis sought to forge a more open and compassionate Church.</p><p>Throughout his papacy, he championed the poor, campaigned for action against climate change and emphasized love over doctrine, famously saying of gay believers, &quot;who am I to judge&quot;.</p><p>His views riled Church traditionalists, while his outspoken opinions often clashed with those of politicians.</p><p>Argentina&#x27;s President Javier Milei -- who had before taking office accused Francis of being an &quot;imbecile&quot; who &quot;promotes communism&quot; pointed to his compatriot&#x27;s &quot;goodness and wisdom&quot; despite their &quot;differences&quot;.</p><p>Argentine football great Lionel Messi thanked Francis for &quot;making the world a better place&quot; as the late pontiff&#x27;s favorite club, San Lorenzo, paid tribute to &quot;a thoughtful, open-minded, cultured man&quot;.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>HEALTH ISSUES</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Francis, who had part of his lung removed as a young man, almost died twice while in hospital -- but still defied doctor&#x27;s orders to take two months off after returning home.</p><p>Known for being stubborn, he made several public appearances, including meeting Britain&#x27;s King Charles and visiting a prison.</p><p>But he struggled to speak, and delegated the traditional Easter Sunday &quot;Urbi et Orbi&quot; (&quot;To the City and the World&quot;) benediction to an associate.</p><p>His hospital stay was the last of a series of health issues, from colon and hernia surgery to problems walking, which saw him take to a wheelchair in recent years.</p><p>But he never took a day off and made frequent trips abroad, including a four-nation Asia-Pacific tour last September which drew huge crowds.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CHURCH REFORMS</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/thDW52RBWNQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>When Francis took over, the Catholic Church was beset by infighting, and plagued by a global scandal over cover-ups of clerical sex abuse of children.</p><p>Francis initiated a major shake-up of the Vatican&#x27;s governing body that included improving financial responsibility and allowing lay Catholics to lead Vatican offices.</p><p>However, critics accused him of creating doctrinal confusion and failing to defend traditional Catholic beliefs on key issues such as abortion and divorce.</p><p>On abuse, he promised an end to impunity and changed Vatican law, but victims&#x27; groups said his actions fell short of the &quot;zero-tolerance&quot; he promised.</p><p>&quot;In this realm, where Francis had supreme power, he refused to make the necessary changes,&quot; said Anne Barrett Doyle from BishopAccountability.org, complaining of a lack of external oversight and transparency.</p><p>&quot;It will forever tarnish the legacy of this remarkable man.&quot;</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8BjCR9y2fC4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8gow3nGBDWE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Pope Francis died of a stroke, the Vatican announced hours after the death on Monday of the 88-year-old reformer who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic Church.</p>

Pope Francis died of a stroke, the Vatican announced hours after the death on Monday of the 88-year-old reformer who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis death from a stroke sets off global tributes, mourning

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Pope Francis death from a stroke sets off global tributes, mourning

Agence France-Presse

Published April 22, 2025 09:22 AM PHT

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Updated April 22, 2025 04:32 PM PHT

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