The Death of a Pontiff: Announcement from the Vatican
At 9:45 AM Rome time on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, the Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis. The message was delivered by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, from the Casa Santa Marta—the Pope’s humble residence rather than the grand Apostolic Palace that many of his predecessors inhabited.
“Dearest brothers and sisters,” began Cardinal Farrell with solemn gravity, “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.”
The statement was brief, yet profoundly moving, capturing the essence of a papacy that consistently prioritized inclusion, humility, and solidarity with the underprivileged.
The Vatican later confirmed that the rite of the certification of death and placement of Pope Francis’s body in a coffin took place on Monday evening at 8:00 PM in the chapel on the ground floor of Casa Santa Marta. This rite, witnessed and validated by Cardinal Farrell, was an intimate ceremony attended by close collaborators of the Pope.