BREAKING NEWS
Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, dies aged 88
Rob Harris - April 21, 2025
London: Pope Francis, the reforming head of the Catholic Church who sought to modernise the pastoral and public priorities of the Vatican, has died at the age of 88.
The Vatican announced the death of the Argentina-born Francis, a ground-breaking and progressive figure on Monday.
He was the first pope to be born or raised outside Europe in 12 centuries, the first from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the role.
Francis, who had led the world’s 1.3 billion Roman Catholics since 2013, had been in increasingly poor health and physical pain, using a wheelchair or cane for more than a year after undergoing several operations, including major stomach surgery.
The Vatican announced on February 18 that he had developed pneumonia in both lungs and his condition remained “complex”. At the time, he had been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14.
In line with centuries-old church protocols, his death was first verified by the camerlengo – the Vatican’s overseer of property and revenues – who ceremonially called out the pope’s baptismal name, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, three times. Upon receiving no response, he pronounced the pope dead and informed church staff and the public.
Francis’ death will spark an official nine-day mourning period and weeks of intrigue as to who will succeed him in the role, with more than 140 cardinals to arrive at the Vatican within 15 to 20 days to begin the papal conclave, a secretive election process held to determine a successor.
His burial must take place between four and six days after his death, according to the Universi Dominici Gregis constitution that governs the papal transition, and the church will observe nine days of mourning during the papal interregnum.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/pope-francis-the-head-of-the-catholic-church-dies-aged-88-20231205-p5epa4.html
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