Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies from stroke, heart failure

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said on Monday.

He died of a stroke and irreversible heart failure, Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli said in a death certificate released on Monday for the 88-year-old pontiff. The certificate, which was published by the Vatican, said the pope had fallen into a coma before his death early on Monday.

Pope Francis had suffered a serious bout of double pneumonia this year, but his death came as a shock after he had been driven around St. Peter's Square in an open-air popemobile to greet cheering crowds on Easter Sunday.

"Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis," Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican's TV channel.

"At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the father."

Farrell will preside over a rite at 8 p.m. ET on Monday when the pope's body will be placed into a casket, part of the formalities that will culminate in a funeral at a date to be confirmed.

President Donald Trump said on Monday he will attend Pope Francis' funeral in Rome.

"Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome," Trump said on Truth Social.

The Vatican said a ceremony to make Carlo Acutis the first Catholic saint of the millennial generation, planned for Sunday, April 27, had been postponed.

Francis made his first prolonged public appearance on Sunday, March 23, after being discharged from a 38-day hospital stay for pneumonia.

In an Easter Sunday message read aloud by an aide as the pope looked on from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the pontiff had reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

At the Vatican, locals, tourists and pilgrims visiting for Easter expressed their shock and grief.

"This is something that really hits you hard," said Emanuela Tinari, from Rome. "He was a pope who brought so many people closer to the church. He was not appreciated by everyone. But he definitely was by ordinary people."

Final meetings

Doctors had prescribed two months of rest when the pope left the hospital last month, but he appeared on a number of occasions and met Britain's King Charles in April and had a brief meeting on Sunday with visiting U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

"My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him," Vance said on the social platform X.

Other world leaders were reacting to the pope's death with praise for his efforts to reform the worldwide church and offering condolences to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mourned the departure of "a great man, a great shepherd."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, "He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate."

Jose Ramos-Horta, the president of East Timor, where Francis visited in September 2024 as part of the longest foreign trip of his papacy, said the pope "leaves behind a profound legacy of humanity, of justice, of human fraternity."

A statement from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said, "We join the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. Countless lives have been blessed by his courageous and compassionate leadership. We extend our heartfelt condolences to all who looked to him for inspiration and counsel. As the world pauses to remember his example of forgiveness and service, we feel deep gratitude for the goodness of a life well lived and rejoice in the hope of a glorious resurrection made possible through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ."

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'Humility and compassion': Utahns mourn death of Pope Francis

Several prominent Utahns mourned the death of Pope Francis on Monday, recalling his life of "humility and compassion" and celebrating the care he showed to marginalized people around the world.

A Utah Catholic Schools post on social media Monday called Pope Francis, "a humble servant who led with compassion and simplicity. May his soul and the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace."

And the Southern Utah Pacific Islander Student Association statement said in part, "For our members who are part of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis was more than a religious figure. He was a source of spiritual guidance, strength, and hope. His commitment to unity, service, and the uplifting of marginalized voices aligned deeply with the values held in our Pacific Islander heritage and culture."

12-year papacy

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, surprising many Church watchers who had seen the Argentine cleric, known for his concern for the poor, as an outsider.

He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his "psychological health."

He initiated changes within the Vatican, emphasizing transparency, accountability and financial reform, and appointed more women to senior posts in its hierarchy. However, he was also viewed as a haphazard leader, often blindsiding Vatican officials with his off-the-cuff comments.

He struggled to get a grip on the church's crisis over sexual abuse by clerics, and he inherited a church torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy, and was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.

But as his papacy progressed, he faced criticism from conservatives, who accused him of trashing cherished traditions. He also drew the ire of progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2,000-year-old church.

While he struggled with internal dissent, Francis became a global superstar, drawing huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he tirelessly promoted interfaith dialogue and peace, taking the side of the marginalized, such as migrants.

Unique in modern times, there were two men wearing white in the Vatican for much of Francis' rule, with his predecessor Benedict opting to continue to live in the Holy See after his shock resignation in 2013. Benedict, a hero of the conservative cause, died in December 2022.

Francis appointed nearly 80% of the cardinal electors who will choose the next pope, increasing the possibility that his successor will continue his progressive policies, despite the strong pushback from traditionalists.

Contributing: Angelo Amante, Crispian Balmer, Rami Ayyub and Ismail Shakil

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