Pope Francis dies at the age of 88 - world mourns!

Pope Francis dies at the age of 88 - world mourns!

Vatikanstadt, Italien - on Easter Monday, April 22, 2025, Pope Francis died at the age of 88. This sad news was officially confirmed by the Vatican. The Pope has had to deal with considerable health problems in recent years, and despite his impressed state, he was able to donate the festive blessing Urbi et Orbi to tens of thousands of believers on Easter Sunday. His death leaves great grief not only within the Catholic Church, but also among church representatives and top politicians worldwide.

The body of Pope Francis will be laid out in the chapel of his last place of residence on Monday evening. After the death of a Pope, the Holy Chair is orphaned, which means that the Catholic Church must now enter the choice of a new Pope in the phase of grief and preparation. This transition is not only important for members of the Church, but also has far -reaching diplomatic and political consequences.

The historical context of the papacy

The history of the Pope extends from late antiquity to the present and is deeply interwoven with the development of the Christian Church. The popes see themselves in the successor of the apostle Simon Peter, who traditionally is the first Pope. Peter and Paul were worshiped in Rome as martyrs, which underlines the high importance of the Roman church. In the Middle Ages, the design of the papacy began, strongly influenced by the church reform movement of the 11th century. The popes achieved an independent political role through the church state, which often led to conflicts with other rulers.

The close relationship of the medieval emperors of the Holy Roman Empire to the papacy is particularly remarkable. These monarchs partially derived their authority from the papal coronation, which led to legal and political conflicts. In addition, Popes shouted several crusades during the 11th to 13th centuries and promised indulgence for their participants.

an important turning point

A prominent turning point in the history of the Pope was under Pope Innocent III, which officially assumed the title "Vicarius iesu Christi". But the political dimension of the papacy also experienced upheavals, for example when the popes were under French control at the end of the 13th century and resided in Avignon. This time led to the Great Western Schism in 1378, which was only ended at the Council of Konstanz in 1417.

In the 20th century, the papacy played a more active role in the World Church, and under Pope Francis, the first Jesuits and South American on the Pope Thronic, a new direction was broken, which was shaped by interreligious dialogue and social issues. With his death, the Catholic Church has not only lost a spiritual leader, but also a great advocate for social justice and global awareness.

As the developments of the next few weeks and months will show, the choice of his successor will be crucial for the future orientation of the papacy. Experts and believers worldwide observe the situation with great excitement and sympathy.