Pope Francis, 88, Dies on Easter Monday
He passed away at 7:35AM local time.

Pope Francis passed away early Easter Monday. From Vatican News:
At 9:45 AM, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, announced the death of Pope Francis from the Casa Santa Marta with these words:
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow 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. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”
Francis battled numerous health problems lately, starting on St. Valentine’s Day when he went to the hospital for bronchitis.
The Pope was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital on Friday, February 14, 2025, after suffering from a bout of bronchitis for several days.
Pope Francis’ clinical situation gradually worsened, and his doctors diagnosed bilateral pneumonia on Tuesday, February 18.
After 38 days in hospital, the late Pope returned to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta to continue his recovery.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina:
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and entered the Society of Jesus at age 21. Following his ordination in 1969, he served as a Jesuit provincial, seminary rector, and professor before St. John Paul II appointed him auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992. He became archbishop of the Argentine capital in 1998 and was created cardinal in 2001.
The surprise election of Cardinal Bergoglio on March 13, 2013, at age 76 marked several historic firsts: He became the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first to choose the name Francis, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi’s devotion to poverty, peace, and creation.
Doctors removed part of Francis’s lungs when he was 21 when he developed pleurisy.
Ever since then, Francis has had trouble with respiratory infections.
The Vatican has not said anything about his funeral.
The election for a new pope will begin after nine days of mourning after the funeral.
The 252 cardinals will meet in Rome. Only 138 will vote for a new pope since only those under 80 can vote.

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Comments
Shame that he died.
But one of the big reasons the Catholic church has lost basically all relevance and political power over the last few hundred years is they insisted on continuing this ridiculous fiction that the Pope was anything other than a politically elected position.
Pretty simple view of a complex power struggle of the world. Church membership is rising so believe what you want about “Catholic church has lost….all relevance and political power”. Your comment makes me smile because you have not read published material of various popes. You only believe what the media tells you.
Many may have issues with the Pope, but not of the Church. Our beliefs are strong and thread through generations. Kinda hard for those who don’t understand the faith and choose the latest fad feel good life style.
The Catholic Church has survived for millennia because it has an important truth and message which resonates with humanity. However, to steal a sports analogy it is possible to remain a fan of the team even after a string of bad managers.
How much are church numbers rising due to illegals? Probably all of it.
I will only comment on the Popes in my lifetime that I remember, but John Paul II was a rock against communism. Francis was a leftist dud. Benedict XVI was a mystery.
And the next one is anybody’s guess.
Nope. Not a guess. The next Pope will be just as bad, or worse, then Bergoglio due to the fact that he made sure the College of Cardinals was loaded with his supporters and sycophants and any Cardinal that might have voted for a more traditionalist pope is over 80 so is ineligible to cast a vote.
Well then, the next pope could be the shining one, son of the dawn, phosphorus in Greek. Or was that Bergoglio who just passed?
I’m glad the church has lost political power. May they lose all of it.
I concur. Jesus had it correct. “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things which are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).
The Pope should tend to his flock to secure their place with God. He should not participate in political matters unless those matters are contrary to the primary purpose. Faith and morals.
Not a NT guy myself, but my impression of the NT was that Jesus wouldn’t have been into popes.
Popes have always been political. They used to more or less rule southern Europe, and when their words were accorded divine authority, it was pretty effective! The retreat of the Vatican’s formal sovereignty behind a wall in an area of Rome is a new thing.
The older and larger an organization becomes, they more they try to feather their own nest. This includes churches. I think that we should limit nonprofit status to place of worship and that all their other properties and activities should be taxed. There is a lot of abuse.
good. now just many weeks of crocodile tears.
JD Vance has the touch…
Yea, I thought the same thing. Lol. He is a devote Catholic, so maybe he wanted to get a good word in.
Maybe Don qua Don can send JD Vance to visit some others,
like maybe,
Hillary
Chuck S
Raskin
CJ Roberts
oh man this list is gonna be long
Vance should of course be suitably attired,
https://as1.ftcdn.net/v2/jpg/05/67/72/12/1000_F_567721271_mfAcSiDO815dELvS9RefbdYGT8nBM0u0.jpg
A visit to Hillary would be interesting: immovable object meets irresistible force.
What did J.D. Vance tell him yesterday?
Must have been something to die for.
Sorry.
Don’t hate me.
I won’t gate you if you replace my keyboard.
Spew alert!
And, darn it. it was GOOD coffee.
I hope he got right before he left …
I see what you did there 🙂
He left? Where’d he go?
Stage Right.
(Insert Hanna-Barbera bongo-drum-whoosh escape sound here)
https://youtu.be/56gicTwqV_Q?si=T8lrV1Df_5obqQJJ
The Catholic Church has a strong and enduring foundation which is evident today in spite of on going struggles. I just hope the final white plume of smoke signals a Pope who is Catholic and not Catholic plus.
Good luck with that. Bergoglio made sure that the majority of the College of Cardinals was loaded with his own hand-picked supporters and sycophants so the chances of the Cardinals electing an actual Catholic Pope isn’t very high. The faithful will just get another leftist, can’t we all just get along, wishy-washy, no real faith, Pope and the ruination of the Catholic Church will continue apace.
That’s what I’m afraid of. The Episcopal Church has been eaten away the same as other denominations by leaders and pastors who can’t distinguish Matthew from Marx in the pulpit.
What? Now there are 5 Gospels? Matthew, Mark, Marx, Luke and John.”
When the left gets through with them there may be more.
Silly. There are only four gospels.
Marx, Mao, Lenin, and Stalin
And now the Red pope will join them
Azathoth: Not George, Paul, Ringo, and John?
Here you go, Grizz.
Same with the Lutheran Church.
I assume “8-” is actually supposed to be “80”?
He identifies as 8.
While I think it is a good thing this pope being the head of the Church is over… and not rah rahing his or anyone else’s death…. as he made many statements and decrees that were not sound doctrine and were more political ideology and pandering than anything else and attempts to push the Church as far left as possible…. The appointments he made… and he made many…. Could ensure a very leftist pope is elected and an even further lurch to the left happens with whoever replaces him. I have hope but am concerned…
It’s too bad that the Cardinals that might have pushed for the election of a more traditional minded Pope are also the ones that are over 80 and therefore are ineligible to cast a vote. So I don’t expect the Cardinals will actually elect a Catholic Pope but just another leftist, wishy-washy, can’t we all just get along, Pope with no real faith nor connection to the Catholic Church.
That’s the problem with electing a Jesuit as Pope. They were never meant to be Popes.
Sometimes G_d gets to pick the Pope and other times the Cardinals over rule Him.
P.S. Pope John Paul II was probably the greatest Pope after Simon Peter.
The Episcopalians have lost a great leader.
I’m not sure how accurate this list is, but there are 3 solid choices on it and 3 commies like Francis. I’m guessing Raymond Burke is a long shot, since he’s an American.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/14069620/next-pope-candidates-cardinals-death/
Hoping the next pope is more religious and less of a communist supporter of child abuse
Anytime ANY issue or discussion re the Catholic Church there are always people like you you bring up SA…. Yet you NEVER decry the issue in US public schools which is statistically 100x (true figure 100x) worse or the fact the incidence in Protestant and Muslim religions has ALWAYS been worse. So do you just hate Catholics and love to bash or do you not really care about child SA and it’s just your opportunity to spew hate and misinformation or are you just woefully ignorant….There is this bigotry that exists and you always see it come up in any discussion of Catholicism
Tactical note….If you wish to separate Protestants from Christianity, best to add Greek and Russian Orthodox and Coptics. There is the Holy Catholic Church…not just Roman.
Not at all what I was doing in my post…
What I caught was “Protestant and Muslim religions”… plural. Protestants, as with the Orthodox and Coptics aren’t a separate “religion” from Roman Catholicism… just separate branches. It wasn’t the intent of Martin Luther to split from the Church but in the new world of the printing press and mass dissemination of information, the Pope hardened his position (including indulgences) and a lot of pent up frustration boiled over. The attempt at ecumenical detent failed recently with Protestants when it came down to the demand that Rome (and the Pope) ruled the church. (Think Moscow wanting control of all communists). The big reminder… no matter what the late Pope said about how good Islam is, after the “Saturday People”, eradication of the “Sunday People” will continue (i.e. Nigeria). We are all in this together.
How do you KNOW he never decries what goes on in public schools?
It’s just a reflexive defense mechanism when people are reminded that the Romans power structure covered it.
“Oh yeah, well those people suck worse!” What a terrible argument to make.
The record of the church in Boston on SA is abysmal. Child abusing priests were moved from church to church increasing the number of victims. When it looked like Bernard Law was going to be in legal trouble for knowing what was happening and perhaps aiding and abetting JP 2 whisked him off and gave him a job in the vatican. Every religion has its bad apples but if you really want to practice what you preach you should exorcise them not protect and elevate them.
The Holy Roman Church stepped in the same quagmire as the Communists did centuries later: declaring that denying a limbic part of human nature would be no big challenge. In the case of the Communists, it was the human urge to property acquisition among the masses. In the case of the Church, it was the breeding urge among the hierarchics. Most of the other denominations mentioned allow their clergy to marry, a great incentive towards promoting psychological balance. You can’t outlaw a basic human behavior and then be “simply shocked” that you are attracting employees who have substituted stranger behaviors.
I hear AOC is looking to upgrade
Some random dude who dresses up in a Halloween costume 24/7. Revered by millions who believe in a ridiculous myth.Seemed like a genuinely good guy, Unlike the cretin who is also revered by millions who believe in a ridiculous myth.
Quit mentioning the BuddHa that way!
Give me Grech from Malta for 200 please. Just someone moderate and not hypocritical who understands what terrorism is and doesn’t think flooding the first world with unwanted third world settler colonist invaders with different and often toxic cultures is a good thing.
Especially now that there’s no more USAID money in it.
RIP
We all know what he was but with few exceptions political fights end at the grave.
Lets hope that the new pope is worth waiting for (it is entirely possible we get a clone of the last one).
Wait for the surprise news on Thursday that he’s back.
As someone who grew up Catholic I’m going to Simply say nothing because I’ve got nothing nice to say about this guy. Hopefully the next guy won’t be like this guy.
Benedict should not have been forced to retire. In most peoples’ memory, any Pope has had or will have a tough act to follow John Paul II.
With the constant infections, I wonder if the brain bleed was a mycotic aneurism.?
He wasn’t forced.
Now, maybe a real Catholic can be elected Pope, as opposed to a communist agitator.
Pope-bama, Woke Pope. Pope Francis’s ability to talk to secular leftists was his greatest asset and liability. I am glad the church stirred the pot a bit by its first Jesuit pope.