“The Bishop of Rome has returned to the Father’s house.  His entire life has been dedicated to the service of the Lord and his Church  , and he has taught us the value of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, particularly in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinitely merciful love of the  Triune God ,” Cardinal Farrell said.
The bells  echo from St. Peter’s Basilica to every corner of the Catholic church . Jorge Mario Bergoglio died less than 24 hours after giving the  Urbi el Orbi blessing  to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square this Sunday.  The pontiff had spent 38 days in Rome’s Policlinico Gemelli hospital between February and March  due to a respiratory infection, two years after presiding over the funeral of his predecessor. Although he was discharged on March 23, he continued to recover from his delicate condition while away from public events.
In his will, Pope Francis has stated his wish to be buried in a chapel in the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and in a simple tomb. “I request that my tomb be prepared in the niche of the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the aforementioned Papal Basilica, as indicated in the attached document. The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without any particular decoration and with the sole inscription: Franciscus,” the pontiff states in his will.
Tonight, starting at 8:00 PM, the rite of acknowledgment of Pope Francis’s death will be celebrated at his residence in Casa Santa Marta. According to the Vatican’s master of ceremonies, Diego Ravelli, the coffin  will lie in state tonight in the chapel of his residence, as ordered during the pontiff’s lifetime  (previously, this rite was held in the chapel of the Apostolic Palace). The transfer of Bergoglio’s body to St. Peter’s Basilica  is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23, so that the faithful can bid farewell.
This Easter, Francis was absent from all events until this Sunday. According to the Vatican, the Pope was still recovering from his hospitalization. On Easter Sunday, during his reappearance after giving the  Urbi et Orbi blessing ,  the pontiff toured St. Peter’s Square in the popemobile for several minutes  and even stopped to bless some children, although, according to those present, he seemed absent-minded and had difficulty moving. He also briefly received the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, at his Casa Santa Marta residence that same morning.
During his last hospital stay, the Pope suffered two episodes of acute respiratory failure caused by “a significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus ,” according to the Vatican. These episodes caused another bout of “bronchospasm,” for which he underwent two bronchoscopies. Francis also had to resume “non-invasive” mechanical ventilation . However, until the end of his life, the pontiff, according to the Vatican, remained “always lucid, oriented, and cooperative.”
This past February was not the first time the Pope had been hospitalized for health reasons . He recently underwent surgery to remove part of his colon due to diverticular stenosis in 2021. Two years earlier, he also underwent cataract surgery that did not require hospitalization.
However, it was at the age of 21 that Bergoglio experienced one of his worst episodes , which has plagued his health ever since. Pneumonia forced the removal of the upper lobe of his right lung . “For months, I didn’t know who I was or whether I was going to die. Not even the doctors knew if I was going to survive. I remember one day, hugging my mother, asking if I was going to die,†the Pope recounts in his book, Let’s Dream Together .
Now, the Vatican is beginning preparations for the pontiff’s funeral. Following his funeral, scheduled for Friday through Sunday, the traditional Conclave will convene within a maximum of 20 days , during which his successor will be elected. This selection will be determined by the large number of cardinal electors designated by Francis himself.
This Jubilee year, which is celebrated every 25 years, will continue with its celebrations and liturgies despite the death of Pope Francis, as announced by the Vatican through its press office.
The news caused a great shock among people walking through the Vatican this morning. “How is that possible! We saw him yesterday at Easter…” a German Catholic told EFE. According to the agency, the faithful present there described the pontiff as a “man of peace” and a defender of the “poor.”
The city of Rome is now preparing to welcome the hundreds of thousands of faithful who will arrive in the Italian capital to bid farewell to Pope Francis.
