Pope Francis surprisingly dies of stroke - world mourns!

Pope Francis surprisingly dies of stroke - world mourns!

Basilika Santa Maria Maggiore, Rom, Italien - Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025 at the age of 88, the consequences of a stroke. The stroke led to a coma and irreversible heart failure. This tragic message was officially confirmed by Andrea Arcangeli, head of the Vatican's health authority. Francis died at 7.35 a.m. in his residence in the St. Marta guest house. The Vatican announced that the Bishop of Rome "returned to the father's house", which triggered grief worldwide. FAZ reports that his death from all over the world moved into mourning.

The Pope had only donated the traditional Easter blessing "Urbi et Orbi" on the occasion of Easter on Sunday. Despite his health problems, which heavily burdened him in the weeks before his death, he had shown himself to the believers in the open papamobile. In the past few months he suffered from the consequences of serious pneumonia, which kept him in the hospital for 38 days and weakened him strongly in terms of health. In the period before his death, it was advised that he should treat himself to rest. The time emphasizes that leading personalities, including Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, pronounced their condolences, while the bells in St. Peter's Basilica and in many churches.

the will and the burial

After his death, the will of Pope Francis was published. In it, he expressed the desire for a simple grave in the basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, which should not be decorated with special decorations, but simply should be provided with his name "Franciscus". This wish breaks with the tradition of the popes, which are usually buried in St. Peter's Basilica. Francis also set the exact place of his grave in the side chapel and added a sketch. Deutschlandfunk reports from an anonymous donor who has already covered the costs for the grave in advance.

From Wednesday, the day after the will be published, the faithful can say goodbye to St. Peter's Basilica at his open coffin. The formal process stipulates that his body is first transferred to the chapel of his place of residence in the guest house in Santa Marta. The three -day mourning period, called Novendiale, will continue for nine days, and the burial is typically scheduled for four to six days after his death. The time informs that the conclave is convened at the latest twenty days after his death.

papal legacy

Pope Francis has been in office since March 2013 and the first non-European Pope for over 1,200 years. During his term of over a decade, he worked intensively for the fight against poverty and reformed the administrative structures of the Vatican. His focus on humility, modesty and justice brought with him both admiration and criticism of conservative church representatives. With his large followers, he leaves a total of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, which were shaped by his theological and social interpretation of faith.

In the days after his death, the worldwide Catholic community will gather in memory of him. The mourning for Pope Francis, whose legacy includes topics such as peace and social justice, will certainly have decades.