Overview

• Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, at 7:35 a.m. CET in his Vatican residence, with the cause of death confirmed as a stroke leading to heart failure.
• The Vatican revealed that the late pope had Type 2 diabetes and had recently recovered from a five-week hospitalization for double pneumonia.
• His final public appearance was on Easter Sunday, where he greeted worshippers in St. Peter’s Square and delivered a blessing through an aide.
• The pope’s simplified funeral rites, per his wishes, will include a single wooden coffin and burial in Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica rather than St. Peter’s Basilica.
• A conclave of cardinals, many appointed by Francis, will convene within three weeks to elect the 267th pope of the Catholic Church.