Pope Francis Dead At 88, Vatican Announces Roman Catholic Leader Passed Away 

Today the Vatican announced that 88-year old Pope Francis has died after being hospitalized on February 14 in Rome.

The pope was admitted to Policlinico A. Gemelli with a respiratory infection that progressed to bilateral pneumonia, and he told aides that he believed this was the end.

The 88-year-old Argentine pontiff was said to be in significant pain and “privately expressed certainty he won’t make it this time,” according to Politico. The pope had been in ill health for many years but always recovered to the point of carrying on with Sunday Mass and official church duties.

On the Sunday following his hospitalization Francis delegated a Vatican prelate to perform his mass.

Pope Francis Dead at 88

The outlet reported the pope had been working to “tie up loose ends” which included the extension of the term of the dean of the College of Cardinals, 91-year-old Italian cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

When a pope passes away, it is the dean who delivers the funeral rites, prepares for the papal conclave, and convenes cardinals to choose the next pope.

On Feb. 6 the Vatican reported that Francis was suffering from bronchitis, and mere hours before this the pontiff had arranged his directive.

Cardinals were expected to elect a new dean after Re’s five-year term ended on Jan. 18. It was speculated that Francis’ directive was meant to prevent the subdean, “Argentine cardinal Leonardo Sandri, from moving up the ladder.”

Pope Francis Will Be Laid to Rest

A source told Politico that “Francis joked that Re would be ‘kinder’ to him and defend his legacy of creating a more diverse Catholic Church. In keeping with that, Francis officially appointed Sister Raffaella Petrini as the first woman governor of Vatican City on Saturday, per the AP.”

Francis was admitted to the hospital in Rome on Friday, Feb. 14. At that time he was diagnosed with a polymicrobial infection, and on Tuesday, Feb. 18 the Vatican announced that the pontiff’s clinical condition “continued to present a complex picture.”

It was reported that the pope’s infection was the result of “bronchiectasis and asthmatic bronchitis” which necessitated the use of cortisone antibiotic therapy. A CT scan performed on Tuesday indicated the “onset of bilateral pneumonia” which required additional drug therapy.

Pope Francis Was Hopeful to the End

Earlier on Tuesday, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni stated that “Nevertheless, Pope Francis is in good spirits” and was grateful for the prayers for his recovery.

This is the fourth time Francis has been admitted to the Policlinico A. Gemelli. He underwent colon surgery there in 2021 and in 2023 was admitted for a respiratory infection.

He was readmitted several months later for hernia surgery and last February he underwent diagnostic tests at the hospital.

In Francis’ youth the upper lobe of his right lung was removed and subsequently he was “prone to bouts of influenza and bronchitis during the cold winter months.” His medical challenges increased in recent years and due to knee problems and sciatica, he often used a wheelchair, walker or cane.

The Life and Times of Pope Francis

Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina on December 17, 1936, the eldest of five children. As pope he was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State.

He is the first pope from the Americas and the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century papacy of Syrian pope Gregory III.

Bergoglio worked as a bouncer, a janitor, and a chemist. He was inspired to join the Jesuits in 1958 following a severe case of pneumonia, was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969, became the archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, and was made a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II.

Pope Benedict XVI resigned on February 28, 2013 and on March 13 a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor. The pontiff chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

He is known for having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors, which allegedly caused friction among more traditional officials.

For example, Francis made women full members of dicasteries in the Roman Curia and stated that the Catholic Church need to be more sympathetic toward members of the LGBTQ+ community.

His legacy includes rejection of unrestrained capitalism and the death penalty and he made climate change a central focus of his papacy.

Be sure to catch up on everything happening with the Roman Catholic Church by coming back here often for the latest news and updates including the designation of the next pope.