Over 1.4 billion Catholic community worldwide has been thrown into mourning following the death the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis at the age of 88.
The Vatican on its official X handle, confirmed that the Pope died at the early hours of Monday at his residence, Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, announced the death of Pope Francis from the Casa Santa Marta on Monday morning.
“Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.
“At 7:35 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 of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized.
“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”, Farrel said.
The leader of the Catholic Church, the 266th pontiff, who led the Church from 2013 has been in the hospital lately due to an illness associated with pneumonia.
Shortly before his death, Pope Francis made a brief appearance on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square as he continues his recovery.
“Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!” Francis said, with a voice sounding stronger than since he was discharged from hospital on March 23 after five-weeks.
“Viva il Papa!” (Long live the pope), “Bravo!” the crowd shouted as Francis looped through the square in his open-topped popemobile and then up and down the main avenue leading to it. He stopped occasionally to bless babies brought up to him, which now goes down in history as his last official engagement.
Due to his frail health, Pope Francis didn’t celebrate the Easter Mass in the piazza, delegating it to Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the retired archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica. But after the Mass, Francis appeared on the loggia balcony over the basilica entrance for more than 20 minutes and imparted the apostolic blessing in Latin.
The crowd of people below, estimated by the Vatican to be more than 35,000, erupted in cheers as a military band kicked off rounds of the Holy See anthem.
Director of Social Communications for the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja and President of SIGNIS-Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Dr. Patrick Alumuku who spoke with Pointblank News described the death of the Pope as a shock because after he made a public appears less than 24 hours earlier, it was assumed that his recovery rate was impressive.
“We are both shocked and saddened by the death the pope who appeared yesterday at St. Peters Square, to wish Christians and the whole world a happy Easter. He said in Italia, “Happy Easter to all”. He didn’t speak much and we were very happy and he received applause that he was out there but we didn’t know that less than 24 hours after the appearance, he will be gone.
His death taught us a lot of lessons, he was brought into St. Peters square yesterday in a very easy car, he has lived a very humble life, life of a poor pope, he has shown us life of humility, of poverty and how to improve on your relationship with God and with your fellow men. He has shown concern and care for the marginalized and the poor all over the world. This is what he has left with us and we shall remember him for his good example.
On the significance of the death of the pontiff who just passed on hours after the cerebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ he continued, “It is a blessing for anyone to die at this time on the day of the resurrection. It is symbolic for us and we pray that the Lord should take him with Him, as we celebrate His death and resurrection. I believe that this pope has his place in heaven” he said.
The Pope who was an Argentine priest called, Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the first Pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit pontiff, choosing the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. His election raised expectations of significant reforms within the Catholic Church.
With a background in chemistry, Francis was ordained a priest in 1969 and later led the Jesuit order in Argentina. He positioned himself as the Pope of the poor, advocating for the homeless, migrants, and refugees.
Francis confronted clerical sex abuse, admitting the Church’s silence and complicity in protecting abusive priests. He lifted secrecy laws, ordered full cooperation with justice, and supported LGBTQ+ rights, backing same-sex civil unions which generated a lot of criticisms from the Catholic community.
However, his stance on abortion remained firm: “Doctors that do this are hitmen. And on this, you cannot argue.” – Pope Francis
“We are both shocked and saddened because the Pope who appeared yesterday,
Francis addressed Vatican banking scandals, launching an ethics commission to oversee investments. He also fostered interfaith dialogue, strengthening ties with the Russian Orthodox Church—a relationship later strained by the Ukraine war, where he denounced Patriarch Kirill as ‘Putin’s altar boy.’
Francis met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and sent an envoy to mediate peace.
“War is always a defeat.” – Pope Francis stated.
Despite declining health, Francis continued shaping the Church’s future, appointing 21 new cardinals, increasing the likelihood of a successor aligned with his vision. However, he struggled with a loss of faith in Latin America, a region close to his heart.
As his pontificate progressed, Pope Francis remained a polarizing yet transformative leader, leaving a profound impact on the Catholic Church.
