Pope Francis Passes Away

New Delhi: Pope Francis has died a day after making an appearance at Saint Peter's Square on Easter Sunday. He was 88 years old.

The Vatican said in a statement that that the pope died at 7.35 AM (local time).

Pope Francis had the reputation of a reformer. He was the first to occupy the highest position of the Catholic Church from Latin America. The Vatican News noted that in the 12 years of his pontificate, Pope Francis visited 68 countries "giving life to a tireless mission to take the Word of God and the comfort of His love to the whole human family."

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis was the son of Italian immigrants in Argentina.

As a mark of respect, the Union government has announced three-day state mourning – two days on Tuesday (April 22) and Wednesday (April 23), and the third day on the day of the funeral. During this time, the national flag would be flown at half mast throughout India on all buildings where the tricolour is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment.

The pope's last note through his official account on X was to observe Easter. "Christ is risen! These words capture the entire meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life," he had written.

Even in his last full address, the pope, who was known for speaking on the marginalised, had said spoken against violence.

"What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of our world! How much violence we see, often even within families, directed at women and children! How much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants!"

Pope Francis used his last public address to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Even as he was hospitalised, he maintained his commitment to check in on a daily basis with priests and parishioners at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City.

Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/zJFmt8IZmg

— Taj Ali (@Taj_Ali1) April 21, 2025

Pope Francis was also aware of and spoke against ecological damage done to the earth by humans. In 2015, his letter to Roman Catholic bishops took many Catholics by surprise with its uncompromising conclusions and call for an in-depth transformation of our lifestyles.

A piece on Conversation says: "For the “green” pope, the aim was to raise public awareness around the challenges of global warming by creating a relational approach that included God, human beings and the Earth. It was the first time an encyclical had been devoted wholly to ecology."

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