Madrid, Spain.- Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church since 2013, died on Monday, April 21, 2025 at 88. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the first Latin American and Jesuit Pontiff in history, died at 7:35 am at the Santa Marta house, his residence in the city of the Vatican, after several months of health complications.
The announcement was made by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camarlengo of the Holy See, who activated the protocol corresponding to the death of a Pope in exercise. From this moment on, the Church enters a period of vacant headquarters, during which all the functions of the papacy are suspended until the choice of a new pontiff in the conclave that must be convened in the next few days.
Francisco had been hospitalized on several occasions During the last year, the most recent for bilateral pneumonia that forced its admission to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome in March. Although he was discharged on the 23rd of that month, his state of health continued to be fragile. His last public appearance took place this Sunday, during the blessing Urbi et Orbiin which he was visibly weakened.
The Argentine pontiff will go down in history as a transformative figure, marked by his commitment to the poor, his impulse to the reform of the Roman curia and his constant call to mercy. His papacy was also crossed by internal tensions in the Vatican, as well as for gestures that challenged entrenched traditions, such as the openness to dialogue with other religions and the recognition of the role of women in the Church.
In his relationship with Cuba, Francisco maintained a diplomatic position marked by dialogue. He intervened in more than once to promote the release of more than 500 people, including political prisoners, a gesture that was interpreted as a sign of good will by the Vatican. However, his decision to meet with the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel and his public silence in the face of human rights violations on the island generated criticism of Cuban activists and opponents, who reproached him not to have raised his voice in the face of repression and lack of fundamental freedoms.
The Pope’s funerals will be held in the next few days in the Basilica of San Pedro. According to Vatican sources, Francisco left specific instructions for his farewell to be carried out austerely and without great phases, in coherence with the sober style that characterized his pontificate.
The World Catholic community is now preparing to fire a spiritual leader who deeply marked the 21st century, while cardinals around the world are preparing to meet in Rome to choose Pedro’s next successor.
