The Vatican confirmed Monday that Pope Francis has died on the age of 88 in his residence at Casa Santa Marta, ending a controversial decade-long papacy marked by globalist overtures, divisive political stances, and rising well being issues.
Now, Italian media are reporting the doubtless explanation for dying: a cerebral hemorrhage, presumably a stroke, occurring simply hours after the Pope awoke for morning prayer.
In keeping with the Daily Mail, citing La Repubblica and La Stampa, sources near the pontiff’s medical crew revealed that the stroke was not associated to the extreme respiratory points and double pneumonia that had plagued him in February and led to a prolonged hospitalization.
Regardless of being reportedly suggested to relaxation for at the least two months, Pope Francis ignored medical warnings and resumed public-facing duties—together with an prolonged look throughout Easter Sunday Mass.
The Vatican’s Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, introduced that the Pope died at 7:35 AM in Vatican Metropolis.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I need to announce the dying of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” Farrell mentioned in a statement.
“His whole life was devoted to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to stay the values of the Gospel with constancy, braveness, and common love, particularly in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his instance as a real disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”
Francis had lengthy battled power respiratory illnesses, together with {a partially} eliminated lung from his youth, which many near him feared had made him particularly weak throughout his ultimate months.
In keeping with Vatican News, in 1957, whereas in his early 20s, Jorge Mario Bergoglio underwent surgical procedure in his native Argentina to take away a part of his lung following a extreme respiratory an infection.
As he aged, Pope Francis continued to expertise recurring respiratory points, together with a bout of influenza and lung irritation that compelled him to cancel a scheduled go to to the United Arab Emirates in November 2023.
The pontiff was admitted to the hospital on February 14, presenting signs of bronchitis. His frail well being shortly devolved into double pneumonia — a harmful situation for somebody who, like Francis, had one lung eliminated as a younger man.
“The physician mentioned it was the pope’s private nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, who urged the medical crew to maintain up the therapy within the wake of the vomiting episode.”
For days, the medical crew risked injury to Francis’ kidneys and bone marrow, however the 88-year-old lastly responded to the heavy remedy and his an infection subsided.
The Vatican has introduced that Pope Francis’ physique will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for 3 days, beginning as early as Wednesday. His ultimate resting place will probably be within the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
In keeping with studies, the Conclave—the place cardinals collect within the Sistine Chapel on the Vatican to elect a brand new pope—won’t happen for at the least 15 days.
Whereas the mainstream press mourns the dying of the Church’s first Latin American pope, many conservatives bear in mind Francis as a divisive determine who turned the Vatican right into a platform for leftist activism. From championing open borders and local weather alarmism to embracing radical social agendas that stood in stark distinction to centuries of Catholic educating, Francis more and more alienated conventional Catholics throughout the globe.
His tenure noticed frequent clashes with bishops who pushed again on doctrinal drift, and lots of devoted accused the Pope of prioritizing world political narratives over religious management.