Pope Francis dies aged 88

April 21, 2025 – Pope Francis, the reforming head of the Catholic Church who sought to modernise the pastoral and public priorities of the Vatican, has died at the age of 88.

The first Latin American Pope, he led the church for 12 years, pushing for reform and connection with people focused on a message of love, inclusion, and humility.

Pope Francis was last in Pacific in September 2024, when he visited PNG as part of a 4 nation visit to South East Asia.

He held open air services but at Vanimo and Moresby attracting tens of thousands a poignant highlight of his visit. He also visited with the faithful and leaders in Indonesia, Singapore and East Timor.

The death of the Argentina-born Francis, was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement released by the Vatican on Easter Monday.

He said: “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.

“At 7.35am this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church.

“He taught us to live the values ​​of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised.

“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”

Francis was the first pope to be born or raised outside Europe in 12 centuries, the first from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the role.

He died only a day after blessing thousands of people on Easter Sunday in the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square, surprising those gathered with a trip through the piazza in his popemobile, which drew cheers and applause. Beforehand, he met briefly with US Vice President J.D. Vance.

Francis, who had led the world’s 1.3 billion Roman Catholics since 2013, had been in increasingly poor health and pain, using a wheelchair or cane for more than a year after undergoing several operations, including major stomach surgery.

He had been convalescing at the Vatican after developing pneumonia in both lungs in February and spending 38 days in Rome’s Gemelli hospital. He was discharged on March 23.

In line with centuries-old church protocols, his death was first verified by the camerlengo – the Vatican’s overseer of property and revenues – who ceremonially called out the Pope’s baptismal name, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, three times. Upon receiving no response, he pronounced the Pope dead and informed church staff and the public.

Francis’ death will spark an official nine-day mourning period and weeks of intrigue as to who will succeed him in the role, with more than 140 cardinals to arrive at the Vatican within 15 to 20 days to begin the papal conclave, a secretive election process held to determine a successor.

His burial must take place between four and six days after his death, according to the Universi Dominici Gregis constitution that governs the papal transition, and the church will observe nine days of mourning during the papal interregnum.

While many popes are buried in the crypts beneath St Peter’s Basilica, Francis made it known in December 2023 that he wanted a vastly stripped-back funeral service and to be buried in Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria. The funeral Mass is expected to be held in St Peter’s Square. The last pope to be buried outside the Vatican was Leo XIII, who died in 1903 and is buried in the Basilica of St John Lateran in Rome.