Overview

• Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, 2025, at age 88, will be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, honoring his request for simplicity and devotion to the Virgin Mary.
• Cardinals are meeting today to finalize the funeral schedule, which is expected to occur between April 25 and 27, followed by a conclave within three weeks to elect the next pope.
• The Vatican confirmed the cause of death as a stroke leading to irreversible heart failure, following his recovery from a five-week hospitalization for double pneumonia.
• Leaders from around the world, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentina’s President Javier Milei, have paid tribute to Francis’s legacy of humility, inclusion, and social justice.
• The Catholic Church has entered a nine-day mourning period, with thousands gathering in St. Peter’s Square to honor the late pontiff, who made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday.