April 21 (UPI) — Pope Francis died Monday morning in the Vatican City, less than a day after greeting a huge Easter Sunday gathering of Catholics in St. Peter’s Square and issuing a plea for world peace. He was 88.
The Vatican camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, said in an announcement that the pontiff died at around 7:35 a.m. local time in his official residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta building.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and 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.”
The statement said details of the funeral would be announced in due course but that they would be guided by an April 2024 updated version of the liturgical book for papal funeral rites, as approved by the late pontiff who wanted a more modest, humble send-off.
These include confirmation of death taking place in the chapel, rather than in the room where the pope passes, and the body being placed inside the coffin immediately. According to Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Apostolic Ceremonies, funeral rites are to be simplified and focused on expressing the faith of the Church 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.”
NBC reported that the funeral would take place at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome and that a new conclave to initiate the process of electing a new head of the Catholic Church would get underway shortly.
Francis, who served for 12 years after taking over from Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, died a month after being released from the hospital, where he spent five weeks being treated for double pneumonia and came close to dying on at least two occasions.
This is a developing story.
