Pope Francis‘ demise referred to as for a day of mourning on April 21, 2025, and his funeral on April 26. The late pontiff died simply hours after he delivered his yearly Easter prayer and assembly with American Vice President JD Vance on the vacation. Now that Italy grieves the loss, many are questioning who would be the subsequent pope.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell introduced the pope’s demise in an announcement shared by the Vatican. He stated, “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. He taught us to stay the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, braveness, and common love, particularly in favor of the poorest and the marginalized.”
Beneath, get updates on how the Vatican will transfer ahead and who would be the subsequent pope.
How Previous Was Pope Francis?
Francis was 88 years old when he died.
How Did Pope Francis Die?
In accordance with Francis’ demise certificates, his explanation for demise was as a consequence of cerebral stroke, coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse along with a “earlier episode of acute respiratory failure in bilateral multimicrobial pneumonia, a number of bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension and sort II diabetes.” A cerebral stroke is when there’s a lack of blood movement to the mind, and an irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse signifies that he had a sudden failure of the guts to take care of blood movement, in keeping with ABC News.
Francis died after battling a series of ailments, most of them being respiratory-related points. In his 20s, the late pope had one a part of one among his lungs eliminated. Years later, in 2023, he acquired medical therapy for bronchitis, then once more in early 2025 when he was identified with bilateral pneumonia.
All through the rest of his life, Francis additionally underwent intestinal surgical procedure, eradicating a part of his colon to handle diverticulitis (a situation that causes irritation within the colon), and he walked with a cane and used a wheelchair as a consequence of a knee situation.
What Occurs When the Pope Dies?
Shortly after a pope dies, a funeral is held. Francis authorized for his coffin to be open at St. Peter’s Basilica in order that the general public will pay its respects. Subsequent, the Faculty of Cardinals should select who the following pope shall be in an election referred to as the conclave. Till a majority of the votes carry the election, the Faculty of Cardinals governs the Church within the interim of the late pope’s demise and the selection of a brand new pontiff.
In earlier centuries, the conclave has lasted days to months. Normally, although, it lasts a number of days.
Who Will Be the Subsequent Pope?
Normally, one of many cardinals turns into the following pope, and so they are inclined to desire a European to succeed. On the time of publication, the cardinals have begun their assembly for the voting course of. The next names are the attainable candidates for who would be the subsequent pope, in keeping with Reuters and Associated Press:
- Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille, 66 years outdated, French
- Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, 72 years outdated, Hungarian
- Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary basic of the Synod of Bishops, 68 years outdated, Maltese
- Cardinal Juan Jose Omella, archbishop of Barcelona, 79 years outdated, Spanish
- Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican diplomat, 70 years outdated, Italian
- Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle; Professional-Prefect, Dicastery for Evangelization underneath Francis, 67 years outdated; Filipino
- Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, N.J., 72 years outdated, American
- Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Vatican official; 76 years outdated; Ghanaian
- Matteo Maria Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna, 69 years outdated, Italian
- Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Congolese, Archbishop of Kinshasa, 65 years outdated