Mon Apr 21 08:05:42 UTC 2025: ## Pope Francis Dies at 85 After Battling Respiratory Illness
**Vatican City, April 21, 2025** – Pope Francis, the first Latin American Pope and 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away this morning at the age of 85, the Vatican announced. Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, confirmed the Pope’s death at 7:35 AM, stating that he “returned to the home of the Father.”
Pope Francis had been hospitalized for several weeks due to a severe respiratory illness stemming from bronchitis. While discharged on March 24th, his health had been a concern for some time, with pre-existing conditions including knee and hip pain, an inflamed colon, and a history of respiratory infections resulting from a childhood lung surgery.
His papacy, beginning in 2013, was marked by significant social reform efforts. He was a vocal advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights within the Church, actively addressed climate change and the refugee crisis, and issued a formal apology for the Church’s handling of child sexual abuse. In his final days, despite his illness, he continued to express concern for global issues, most recently criticizing Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and maintaining daily contact with the Catholic community there.
Before his ascension to the papacy, Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio) served as a Jesuit priest in Argentina, later becoming archbishop of Buenos Aires and a cardinal. His career was characterized by a dedication to pastoral work and sometimes contentious relations with the Argentine government on conservative issues. The world mourns the loss of a significant religious figure who championed social justice and reform throughout his papacy.
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