Key Events
- 10m ago10 minutes agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:51pm
- 33m ago33 minutes agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:28pm
- 45m ago45 minutes agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:16pm
1m agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:59pm
A pope known for defying expectations, Francis will continue with this trend in death.
He will become the first pontiff to be buried away from the Vatican in more than a century.
In his final testament, dated June 29, 2022, Pope Francisrequested to be buried at Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
The last pope to be buried there was Clement IX in 1669.
The Unesco World Heritage site is one of the Italian capital’s four major papal basilicas, and has played a key role in Francis’s history since he was elected in 2013.
Less than 24 hours after he became pope, Francis visited the basilica to pray in front of one of the Catholic world’s most important icons of the Virgin Mary, the Salus Populi Romani — meaning Salvation of the Roman people.
He would regularly travel to St Mary Major before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return to Rome.
Pope Francis visiting the basilica after his 38-day hospital stay (Vatican media)
10m agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:51pm
US President Donald Trump says federal and state flags will fly at half-mast in honour of Pope Francis.
“He loved the world, and it’s an honor to [lower the flags],” Mr Trump said at an Easter event.
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15m agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:46pm
A small memorial to Pope Francis was set up on Monday afternoon inside one of Christianity’s holiest sites.
One of the chapels inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was opened up to the faithful, with a photo of the late pontiff on display next to the altar.
A service held in Jerusalem. (Hamish Harty)
Dozens of worshippers sat silently in prayer, along with a number of priests, in vigil for Francis.
A memorial mass will be held at the church on Wednesday morning local time.
23m agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:38pm
With tonight’s service in the Vatican now over, let’s take a look at what is expected to take place in the next few days and weeks.
Next few days:
Mourners will be invited to pay their respects while the late pontiff’s body remains inside his coffin in St Peter’s Basilica, with the lid removed.
His funeral is expected to be held in 4-6 days.
Next few weeks:
Pope Francis’s death has set in motion the conclave, the secret meeting in the Sistine Chapel where cardinals elect a new Pope.
33m agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:28pm
The Vatican has published parts of the pope’s will, dated June 29, 2022.
“Feeling that the sunset of my earthly life is approaching and with lively hope in Eternal Life, I wish to express my testamentary will only as regards the place of my burial,” wrote Pope Francis.
“The tomb must be in the earth; simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus.”
In closing his will, the spiritual leader of the world’s Catholics asked the Lord to “give the deserved reward to those who loved me and will continue to pray for me”.
“I offered the suffering that became present in the last part of my life to the Lord for world peace and brotherhood among peoples.”
AFP
38m agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:23pm
Night is falling at the Vatican as crowds continue to flock to St Peter’s Square to mourn the death of the 88-year-old pontiff.
(Reuters: Kai Pfaffenbach)
(Reuters: Matteo Minnella)
We’re also seeing services being held right across the world:
A service in the UK city of Liverpool (Reuters: Temilade Adelaja)
A packed mass in Bogota, Columbia (Reuters: Luisa Gonzalez)
A Holy Mass in memory of Pope Francis at the Sao Sebastiao Cathedral, Rio De Janeiro. (Reuters: Ricardo Moraes)
45m agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:16pm
The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis requested in his final testament to be buried at Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
He requested this and not at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, like many previous pontiffs.
The text specified that Francis wanted to be buried “in the ground, without particular decoration” but with the inscription of his papal name in Latin: Franciscus.
The Vatican statement also said the pope arranged for an unnamed benefactor to cover the costs of burial.
53m agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:07pm
Pope Francis died of a stroke and irreversible heart failure, Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli said on his death certificate.
The details were released on Monday evening, local time, hours after the 88-year-old pontiff’s death.
The certificate was published by the Vatican.
It said the pope had fallen into a coma before his death early on Monday.
54m agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:07pm
The Vatican has confirmed Pope Francis died of a stroke and heart attack.
The 88-year-old leaves a legacy of progressive reform within the Catholic Church, worshipped by over 1 billion people.
Church services have been held around the world, while a rosary was held in the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square.
Catch up on the latest:
56m agoMon 21 Apr 2025 at 7:04pm
The Catholic world is in mourning following the death of Pope Francis yesterday at the Vatican City.
He was aged 88.
The news sent shockwaves across the more than 1 billion Catholics worldwide and prompted an outpouring of tributes from world leaders. Overnight, US President Donald Trump said Francis “loved the world”.
Pope Francis’s death has also triggered protocols to begin selecting the next pontiff.
We’ll be covering this major story throughout the day, so stick with us.
