Pope Francis died of a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure, the Vatican confirmed this evening.
King Charles and Keir Starmer are leading tributes to Francis, who died this morning after leading the Catholic Church for 12 years.
Yesterday, Francis had recovered enough to appear in front of crowds at St Peters Square for Easter Sunday, and he met US Vice President JD Vance less than 24 hours ago.
His death brings an end to one of the most consequential papacies of modern times, in which the pope spoke out about environmentalism and care for the poor.
An expert on the Catholic Church has said the choice of replacement for Pope Francis will determine whether the institution begins to move in a new direction.
Dr Greg Ryan from Durham Universitys Centre for Catholic Studies told Metro the decision will be a mark of where the Cardinals think the church needs to be.
This blog is now closed. For the latest updates, visit Metros World page.
The Vatican has shared Pope Francis final testament in full, including his wishes for a simple burial outside the Vatican.
Signed 29 June 2022, it reads as follows:
As I sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life, and with firm hope in eternal life, I wish to set out my final wishes solely regarding the place of my burial.
Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, I ask that my mortal remains rest “ awaiting the day of the Resurrection “ in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care.
I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the Basilica, as shown in the attached plan.
The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.
The cost of preparing the burial will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I have arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
I have given the necessary instructions regarding this to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Liberian Basilica.
May the Lord grant a fitting reward to all those who have loved me and who continue to pray for me.
The suffering that has marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples.
The path to sainthood for a British-born teenager who was dubbed Gods influencer has been suspended following Pope Francis death.
Italian computer whiz Carlo Acutis, who was 15 when he died of Leukaemia in 2006, is set to become the first millenial saint.
He built a widely acclaimed website exhibiting miracles recognised by the Catholic church and was posthumously recognised for living a virtuous life.
The Vatican officially attributed two miracles to him involving the unexpected healing of a Brazilian child and a Costa Rican student.
Carlo has also been nicknamed the patron saint of the internet and the first gamer saint in recognition of his hobbies.
The ceremony confirming his canonisation was set to take place in St Peters Square on Sunday but will be postponed, the Vatican said.
The death of Pope Francis marks a profoundly symbolic moment in the history of humanity.
He was a spiritual leader who knew how to speak to the heart of the world with humility, closeness, and a profoundly human perspective.
This is what Dr Carolina Bergoglio, the pontiffs grandniece, wrote on Facebook this evening.
Shes among the members of the Argentine family of Francis to join the world in mourning for the late pope.
Bergoglio, the daughter of Pope Francis third cousin, Jorge Bergoglio, added: His passing leaves us with a clear message: love more, judge less, and never forget that we are all brothers and sisters.
Pope Francis funeral must be held between four and six days after his death in line with ancient traditions.
This means it will likely be held between Friday and Sunday.
The College of Cardinals, which represents all cardinals in the Catholic Church, will decide the date.
Members of Gazas small Catholic community have paid tribute to Pope Francis, who was a vocal advocate for an end to the conflict.
Francis phoned the Gaza strips only Catholic Church every evening for the last 18 months of his life to see how people were coping while sheltering there.
He also used his last Easter statement to urge both sides to call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace.
I was deeply saddened. He was our biggest supporter after God, said Suheil Abu Dawoud, a 19-year-old Christian in Gaza.
He always healed our wounds and asked us to be strong, Suheil told the AP news agency. He was always praying for us.
Pope Francis death has triggered a timetabled sequence of events which will see him lie in state for some time before his funeral.
Mourners will be able to pay their respects before his body, which will be placed on velvet pillows on a podium.
Heres an explainer on where and when this is likely to happen:
The late Pope requested to be buried outside the Vatican in a humble ceremony in his final testament, it has been revealed.
He will be one of the few pontiffs to have ever been buried outside St Peters Basilica inside the Vatican.
Francis asked to be interred at Romes Basilica of Saint Mary Major without particular decoration.
The pontiff died after suffering a stroke that caused him to fall into an irreversible coma. He then died from a cardiovascular collapse “ the sudden loss of all heart activity “ his death certificate says.
The document, made public by the Vaticans press office, was signed by one of the Vaticans top health officials, Professor Andrea Arcangeli.
US President Donald Trump will attend the funeral of Pope Francis later this week, sources told The New York Post.
The president previously told reporters I dont know yet when asked if he is attending.
Up Next
Donald Trump has paid tribute to Pope Francis in a televised speech at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll event.
He was a good man, worked hard. He loved the world and its an honour to do that, the US President said.
Trump began his address by saying hed signed an executive order to put all federal government flags at half-mast in honour of the late Pope, a convention that all US presidents have followed in modern history.
Nine men have already been named for the Vaticans conclave “ the secret ballot in which cardinals under the age of 80 will choose the next vote.
A two-thirds majority is needed, which usually means cardinals have to go back to vote again until a candidate hits the right number.
Those on the list include Francis 70-year-old Italian secretary of state, a 76-year-old Ghanaian polyglot and a 45-year-old Ukrainian, who is the youngest of the bunch.
Click on the link below to find out who the nine candidates are.
Dr Greg Ryan, from the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University, has told Metro gives his thoughts on what will happen next with the Popes successor.
He said: Who becomes Pope next is important in two ways. Obviously, the person whos the head of the Church on Earth is hugely influential and visible, as Pope Francis has been and as Benedict and John Paul before that.
But also it will be a mark of where the Cardinals think the church needs to be. And in a way, thats just as significant as the person they choose is the fact that they chose him.
If the Cardinals choose someone with a much more conservative perspective on the church, that suggests that theres a broad group of people that involved in the senior hierarchy of the church who are thinking that way.
I think popes have have different kinds of legacy in this sense. And Francis, I think well have a few different things. Some popes are renowned for the documents theyve written, famous documents, which will be referenced throughout centuries.
I think Francis has written a few of those. Just to name two “ his encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si, was hugely, hugely influential, groundbreaking, and I think will be a point of reference for a long time to come.
His kind of companion piece to that Fratelli Tutti “ your brothers and sisters “ was all about solidarity, human solidarity, and how these things look in a global marketplace, in the globalised world.
Those are things that are fantastic documents in their own right, highly praised from all quarters when they came out. So, on the one hand, those are going to be milestone legacies. People will still reference these in 50 years, 100 years time, as part of the history of the social teaching of the Church.
I think that that style thing is a real change. So that thats going to be memorable, and thats encapsulated in the moment when he became Pope and came to the balcony not dressing in any of the fancy robes, just in the simple white robes.
And his first thing was to ask people to pray for him, people who were there, so you could hear a pin drop in St Peters Square at that moment.
Dr Greg Ryan from the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University, told Metro what the Popes death will mean for the Catholic church.
He said: Who becomes Pope next is important in two ways. Obviously, the person whos the head of the Church on Earth is hugely influential and visible, as Pope Francis has been and as Benedict and John Paul before that.
But also it will be a mark of where the Cardinals think the church needs to be. And in a way, thats just as significant as the person they choose is the fact that they chose him.
If the Cardinals choose someone with a much more conservative perspective on the church, that suggests that theres a broad group of people that involved in the senior hierarchy of the church who are thinking that way.
Reflecting on how Francis may be remembered, he said: Some popes are renowned for the documents theyve written, famous documents, which will be referenced throughout centuries. I think Francis has written a few of those.
Just to name two “ his encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si, was hugely, hugely influential, groundbreaking, and I think will be a point of reference for a long time to come.
His kind of companion piece to that, Fratelli Tutti “ your brothers and sisters “ was all about solidarity, human solidarity, and how these things look in a global marketplace, in the globalised world. Those are things that are fantastic documents in their own right, highly praised from all quarters when they came out.
So, on the one hand, those are going to be milestone legacies. People will still reference these in 50 years, 100 years time, as part of the history of the social teaching of the Church.
Dr Ryan added: I think that that style thing is a real change. So that thats going to be memorable, and thats encapsulated in the moment when he became Pope and came to the balcony not dressing in any of the fancy robes, just in the simple white robes.
And his first thing was to ask people to pray for him, people who were there, so you could hear a pin drop in St Peters Square at that moment.
Former US president Barack Obama has said Pope Francis made us want to be better people.
Sharing a picture to X of the pair smiling as they shook hands in the White Houses Oval Office in 2015, Mr Obama said: Pope Francis was the rare leader who made us want to be better people.
In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound “ embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners “ he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another.
Pope Francis was the rare leader who made us want to be better people. In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound “ embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners “ he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we¦ pic.twitter.com/AFI0BEotUO
Today, Michelle and I mourn with everyone around the world “ Catholic and non-Catholic alike “ who drew strength and inspiration from the Popes example.
May we continue to heed his call to never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope.
Former US president Joe Biden has said Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time.
He was unlike any who came before him, Mr Biden said in a statement posted to X.
Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him.
As Pope, he was a loving pastor and challenging teacher who reached out to different faiths.
It is with great sadness that Jill and I learned of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. He was unlike any who came before him. Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him. For decades, he served¦ pic.twitter.com/GsE03QNoHj
For decades, he served the most vulnerable across Argentina and his mission of serving the poor never ceased.
He commanded us to fight for peace and protect our planet from a climate crisis. He advocated for the voiceless and powerless. He made all feel welcome and seen by the Church.
He promoted equity and an end to poverty and suffering across the globe. And above all, he was a Pope for everyone. He was the Peoples Pope “ a light of faith, hope, and love.
Leading the Catholic Church is an important job, so somebody is needed to step in until the conclave is over.
That man is called Kevin Farrell.
Raised in an Irish-speaking household in the working class suburb of Drimnagh, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell has risen to become one of the most powerful men in the Vatican.
He was appointed camerlengo by Francis, giving him the responsibility for ensuring a smooth transition following the Popes death.
You can find out more about the bloke called Kevin from Dublin who is temporarily leading the worlds 1.3 billion Catholics in our story here.
When Pope Francis delivered his Easter Sunday sermon in St Peters Basilica five years ago, the church was completely empty.
On the most important day of the Catholic calendar, in the most important site in the Catholic world, the man with the most important role in the Catholic Church stepped up to a simple glass podium and started speaking to nobody.
This isnt a time for self-centredness, said Pope Francis, because the challenge were facing is shared by all.
As he spoke, he occasionally glanced up from his pulpit and looked around, as if he is addressing a congregation. But he wasnt “ not physically, at least.
Read more below.
US President Donald Trump has posted a statement on his Truth Social website “ and it is far shorter than the ones weve seen so far from other world leaders.
Pope Francis was not shy about criticising many of the Trump administrations policies, particularly in his third term.
But Trumps Vice President JD Vance proved to be among the final people to meet the pontiff before his death.
The President wrote: Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!
The canonisation of a British Italian teenager as the first millennial saint has been postponed due to the Popes death.
Carlo Acutis, who died of acute leukemia in 2006 when he was 15, created a website cataloguing more than 100 eucharistic miracles recognised by the Catholic church.
The young web designer started the site in 2004 and worked on it for two and a half years, involving much of his family in the project.
It was unveiled just days before he passed away.
Read more below.
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