- Pope Francis died aged 88
- His last visitor was US Vice President JD Vance
- This was his cause of death
Pope Francis has passed away aged 88 on Easter Monday. One of his last acts of his papacy was to give the Easter Sunday.
He was appointed to the position in 2013 after the resignation of the late Pope Benedict, who died in 2022. The recently departed pope was lauded for his work advocating for refugees, LGBT people and other oppressed minorities.
Prior to this, Pope Francis met with US Vice President JD Vance for 17 minutes to exchange Easter greetings. Vance was there as part of the Trump administration’s attempt at diplomatic relations.
“Today I met with the Holy Father Pope Francis. I am grateful for his invitation to meet, and I pray for his good health,” Vance posted on X.
Read more: JD Vance pays tribute to Pope after meeting him hours before death
Today I met with the Holy Father Pope Francis. I am grateful for his invitation to meet, and I pray for his good health.
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) April 20, 2025
Happy Easter! pic.twitter.com/SIhU9gYQl2
What did Pope Francis die of?
Pope Francis recently battled a bout of double pneumonia. While he recovered, it came after a number of health problems. In 2021, he underwent colon surgery. As a younger person, Pope Francis had part of his lungs removed to treat his bronchitis.
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta. pic.twitter.com/jUIkbplVi2
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 21, 2025
His death was announced by the Vatican on Easter Monday, who paid tributes to man born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a video statement.
How did illness shape Pope Francis’ outlook on life?
The late pontiff explained his autobiography Let Us Dream: A Path To A Better Life that being ill a lot allowed him to really feel for people less well off than him.
“When I got really sick at the age of twenty-one I had my first experience of limit, of pain and loneliness. It changed the way I saw life,” he said. “For months, I didn’t know who I was, and whether I would live or die. The doctors had no idea whether I’d make it either.”
