Global tributes poured in on Monday following the announcement of Pope Francis’s passing at the age of 88, with world leaders and individuals from diverse backgrounds expressing sorrow and admiration for the late pontiff.
Church bells rang solemnly across Rome after Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, delivered the official announcement from the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the papal residence.
Pope Francis walks past the alter in front of St Peter’s Basilica in St Peter’s Square after his inauguration Mass at the Vatican on March 19, 2013. [Gregorio Borgia/AP Photo]“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was devoted to the service of the Lord and His Church,” Cardinal Farrell stated.
Francis and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, centre left, meet at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba, on February 12, 2016. [Ismael Francisco/Cubadebate via AP]Pope Francis, who had long battled chronic lung disease and underwent the removal of part of a lung in his youth, was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on February 14, 2025, due to a severe respiratory episode. The condition progressed to double pneumonia, resulting in a 38-day hospitalization—the longest of his 12-year papacy.
Francis, surrounded by the shells of destroyed churches, arrives to pray for the victims of war at Hosh al-Bieaa Church Square in Mosul, Iraq, on March 7, 2021. [Andrew Medichini/AP Photo]Born in Argentina, Francis was the first Latin American and the first non-European pope in over a millennium. His papacy was marked by a distinct emphasis on humility, compassion, and accessibility, qualities that endeared him to millions around the world.
Seminarian Jorge Mario Bergoglio at the El Salvador School, where he taught literature and psychology, in Buenos Aires in 1966.El Salvador School via APCardinal Bergoglio travels on the subway in Buenos Aires in 2008.Pablo Leguizamon / AP
Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis sought to reform the Catholic Church by promoting inclusivity, expanding opportunities for women within church structures, and confronting the global crisis of clerical sexual abuse. While his efforts garnered both praise and criticism, his tenure undeniably shaped a transformative chapter in the Church’s history.
Francis with Cuba’s Fidel Castro in Havana on Sept. 20, 2015.Alex Castro / APPresident Barack Obama and Pope Francis walk down the White House Colonnade before meeting in the Oval Office on Sept. 23, 2015.Andrew Harnik / AP fileFrancis with President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Trump’s daughter Ivanka at the end of a private audience at the Vatican on May 24, 2017.Evan Vucci / Pool via AFP – Getty Images file
