Pope Francis, the leader of billions of Catholics, died at the age of 88 on Monday after a prolonged illness, the Vatican announced. Just 20 hours before his death, the pontiff made his last appearance on Easter, reminding the world of the essence of life and urging people to renew the hope for peace.
As he stepped onto the balcony of St Peter's Basilica in a wheelchair to address thousands of people gathered in Vatican Square, the Pope, in a weak voice, wished "Happy Easter" and waved at the crowd. The Pope's illness had kept him away from most Holy Week events, but he made a major effort on Sunday, waving at the crowd and blessing babies from his popemobile for nearly 15 minutes.
Photo Credit: AFP
After giving his Easter greetings, the Pope delegated the reading of his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" (To the City and the World) benediction to an associate and called for freedom of thought and tolerance.
"There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others," read his speech, which also condemned "worrisome" anti-Semitism, and the "dramatic and deplorable" situation in Gaza.
Soon after, in a post on X, the Pope said: "Christ is risen! These words capture the entire meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life. I would like us to renew our hope that #peace is possible! From the Holy Sepulchre, the Church of the Resurrection, where this year #Easter is being celebrated by Catholics and Orthodox on the same day, may the light of peace radiate throughout the Holy Land and the entire world."
In a series of other posts, he said that "Christ has conquered sin and destroyed death, yet the power of his resurrection is still being brought to fulfilment in our earthly history".
"Like a small seed of light, that fulfilment has been entrusted to us, to protect it and make it grow. Sisters, brothers, in the wonder of our Easter faith, carrying in our hearts every expectation of peace and liberation, we can say: with You, O Lord, everything is new. With you, everything begins again," he added.
Pope Francis, who was the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, became pope in 2013 after his predecessor, Benedict XVI, resigned. He had suffered various ailments in his 12-year papacy, with the recent serious bout of double pneumonia that led to his hospitalisation for nearly five weeks. While he was in his recovery, despite improvements in breathing, the Pope's voice had remained weak.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced that the Pope has died on the Vatican's TV channel this afternoon.
"Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father," he said.
