Pope Francis, who ministered with a humble style, passes away at 88

Francis changed the church's position on the death penalty, calling it inadmissible in all circumstances

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Pope Francis, history's first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday. He was 88.

Bells tolled in church towers across Rome after the announcement, which was read out by Cardinal Kevin Farrell from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived.

"At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church," said Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, who takes charge after a pontiff's death.

Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on 14 February 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.

He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy.

He made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday—a day before his death—to bless thousands of people in St. Peter's Square, drawing wild cheers and applause. Beforehand, he met briefly with US vice president J.D. Vance.

Francis performed the blessing from the same loggia where he was introduced to the world on 13 March 2013 as the 266th pope.

From his first greeting that night—a remarkably normal "Buonasera" ("Good evening")—to his embrace of refugees and the downtrodden, Francis signaled a very different tone for the papacy, stressing humility over hubris for a Catholic Church beset by scandal and accusations of indifference.

After that rainy night, the Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought a breath of fresh air into a 2,000-year-old institution that had seen its influence wane during the troubled tenure of Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis' election.