Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. Here are the key things to know about the death of the Argentine pontiff, history's first from Latin America, who presided over the Catholic Church for more than 12 years.The timing and cause of Pope Francis맥스카지노� deathFrancis died Monday morning at the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived at the Vatican. His death came almost a month after he returned to the Vatican after being hospitalized for double pneumonia. The Vatican said that Francis suffered a stroke that led to a coma and caused his heart to fail.On Tuesday the Vatican released its first images showing him in a wooden casket, in red vestments and his bishop맥스카지노�s miter, with the Vatican secretary of state praying over him in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta. It also announced that the funeral will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Square.In his will, Francis asked to be buried in a simple underground tomb at St. Mary Major Basilica, home to Francis맥스카지노� favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, to whom he was particularly devoted.A final farewell on Easter SundayFrancis made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, a day before his death. He appeared very frail, and delegated the celebration of the Easter Mass to a cardinal. But though his voice was weak, he blessed a crowd of faithful from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica.Francis also made a surprise ride in the square in his popemobile, drawing wild cheers and applause.Beforehand, he met briefly with Vice President JD Vance, who later said that Francis was 맥스카지노�obviously very ill.맥스카지노�Reactions and global mourningCatholics worldwide mourned him from his native Argentina to the Philippines and across Rome as messages of tribute poured in from across the world.Catholic and non-Catholic leaders alike honored a spiritual leader who was a voice for the marginalized and the weak, for migrants and LGBTQ+ people, and for environmental protection.Representatives of other religions and other Christian denominations also praised him for seeking dialogue.The pope's recent illnessFrancis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital in Rome on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his papacy.For the faithful, those were weeks of fear that his illness could be fatal or lead to another papal resignation like that of Pope Benedict XVI, a surprise move that led to the election of Francis in March 2013.The pontiff's return to the Vatican on March 23 brought relief to many.Mourning, funeral and then a conclaveFrancis' death set off the process of allowing the faithful to pay their final respects, first for Vatican officials in the Santa Marta chapel and then in St. Peter맥스카지노�s for the general public.A precise sequence of events will include the confirmation of death in the pontiff맥스카지노�s home, the transfer of the coffin to St. Peter맥스카지노�s Basilica for public viewing on Wednesday, and Saturday's funeral Mass and burial.After the funeral, there are nine days of official mourning, known as the 맥스카지노�novendiali.맥스카지노�During this period, cardinals arrive in Rome to participate in a conclave to elect the next pope.To give everyone time to assemble, the conclave must begin 15-20 days after the 맥스카지노�sede vacante맥스카지노� 맥스카지노� a Latin term meaning the seat is vacant 맥스카지노� is declared, although it can start sooner if the cardinals agree.The cardinals will vote in secret sessions, and the ballots will be burned in a special stove after each session.Black smoke will indicate that no pope has been elected, while white smoke will indicate that the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church.Pope's record on UkraineFrancis tried to maintain the Vatican맥스카지노�s traditional diplomatic neutrality when it came to Ukraine, and that led to criticism for what some called an unclear position on Russia맥스카지노�s invasion of its neighbor.He at times expressed apparent sympathy with Russia맥스카지노�s rationale for invading Ukraine 맥스카지노� like when he said NATO was 맥스카지노�barking at Russia맥스카지노�s door맥스카지노� with its eastward enlargement. And last year he called on Ukraine to show the 맥스카지노�courage맥스카지노� to negotiate peace.Russian President Vladimir Putin in a condolence message praised Francis as a 맥스카지노�consistent defender of the high values of humanism and justice.맥스카지노�Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country was grieving and recalled how the pope often prayed for peace in Ukraine.Legacy on clergy sex abuseFrancis also had critics who argued that he failed to bring justice to victims of clergy sex abuse or to bring the needed reforms to the church.맥스카지노�In this realm, where Francis had supreme power, he refused to make the necessary changes. This choice is having devastating consequences for the Church맥스카지노�s most powerless members. It will forever tarnish the legacy of this remarkable man,맥스카지노� said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, a United States-based watchdog.The Women맥스카지노�s Ordination Conference also lamented Francis맥스카지노� unwillingness to push for the ordination of women. 맥스카지노�This made him a complicated, frustrating and sometimes heart-breaking figure for many women," it said.