LIVE | Pope Francis died due to heart failure: Vatican
Pope Francis, elected the 266th pontiff on March 13, 2013, was the first Latin-American to head the Catholic Church
Pope Francis has passed away, the Vatican announced on Monday (April 21). He was 88 and battling health issues.
The Vatican said that the cause of Pope Francis' death was a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure.
The announcement was made by Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo. “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,″ Farrell said in the announcement.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for 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 God, One and Tribune.″
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Read the updates below.
Live Updates
- 21 April 2025 11:46 AM GMT
Meghalaya Conrad K Sangma condoles Pope Francis' death
Condoling the demise of Pope Francis, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said his life embodied humility, love, and compassion, which have inspired countless souls. "I am deeply saddened by the demise of His Holiness Pope Francis. As the Head of the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope led by example," Sangma said in a post on X. "He was truly a People's Pope, and his life embodied humility, love, and compassion, which has inspired countless souls. His Papacy will be remembered and cherished as he advocated for peace across the world," he added. Meghalaya is a Christian-majority state. PTI
- 21 April 2025 11:41 AM GMT
Mizoram Governor, CM express grief over Pope Franci's death
Mizoram Governor V K Singh and Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Monday condoled the death of Pope Francis. Singh hailed the Roman Catholic head as a beacon of compassion, humility, social justice and peace.
"Profoundly grieved by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, a beacon of compassion, humility, social justice and peace," Singh said. He said that Pope Francis dedicated his life to the service of humanity..
The chief minister in a post on X said, "I express my profound sorrow at the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis." Mizoram is a Christian-majority state.
He also hailed the Catholic leader as a symbol of humility, compassion and moral leadership and recalled his service to humanity. "As a global symbol of humility, compassion, and moral leadership, his contributions to humanity will be remembered with deep reverence. May his soul rest in eternal peace," he said. PTI
- 21 April 2025 11:35 AM GMT
Putin condoles Pope Francis' death
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday condoled the death of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 on Monday. "I had the opportunity to communicate with this outstanding person on many occasions, and I will forever preserve the brightest memory of him. Throughout his pontificate, he actively promoted the development of dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church, as well as constructive interaction between Russia and the Holy See," Putin said in his condolence message to the Vatican posted on the Kremlin website. The president noted that Pope Francis enjoyed great international authority as a faithful servant of the Christian teaching, a wise religious and statesman, and a consistent defender of the lofty values of humanism and justice. PTI
- 21 April 2025 11:33 AM GMT
Pope Francis passes away: Italian soccer league postpones its games
The Italian soccer league postponed its games scheduled for Monday following the death of Pope Francis. The Serie A games scheduled for Monday — a national holiday in Italy — were: Torino-Udinese; Cagliari-Fiorentina; Genoa-Lazio; and Parma-Juventus. A date for the matches to be made up was not immediately announced. AP
- 21 April 2025 10:52 AM GMT
Russian Orthodox Church lauds Pope Francis
A top official of the Moscow Patriarchate has lauded the role played by late Pope Francis in developing contacts of Catholics with the Russian Orthodox Church. “Contacts between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church have been developing actively at all levels in recent years, with Pope Francis playing a significant role in this,” Tass news agency quoted Secretary of the Inter-Christian Department of the Moscow Patriarchate Hieromonk Stephan as saying. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches are linked to the Byzantine split in 1054 AD and have since been rivals, reflecting the East-West rivalry in politics to this day. PTI
