This was announced by the official Vatican account on social media.
“Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 in his residence at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican,” reads the obituary.
Francis is considered the last Pope before the end of the world — according to the ancient “Prophecy of the Popes.” According to the prophecy, after the 112th Pope, Rome will be destroyed, the end of the world will come, and the Last Judgment will begin, as stated in the manuscript.
The day before his passing, Pope Francis held a private meeting with the Vice President of the United States. The pontiff received J.D. Vance in one of the reception rooms of the Vatican hotel where he lived. The Pope gave the politician three large chocolate Easter eggs for his three young children who were not present at the ceremony, as well as a Vatican tie and a rosary.
“I know you’re not feeling well, but I’m glad to see you in good health,” Vance told the Pope. “Thank you for receiving me.”
Afterward, Francis attended the Easter Mass. The Pontiff appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. He came out to the faithful in a wheelchair and waved to the thousands of pilgrims gathered.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to a railroad worker’s family. After earning a diploma as a chemical technician, he entered the seminary. From the 1960s to the 1970s, he taught literature, philosophy, and theology in Catholic colleges in Buenos Aires.
On December 13, 1969, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was ordained as a priest. From February 1998 to March 13, 2013, he served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires. On February 21, 2001, Pope John Paul II elevated him to the rank of cardinal.
On March 13, 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 266th head of the Roman Catholic Church. He became the first pontiff from Latin America, the first Jesuit Pope, and the first to take the name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, the founder of the mendicant Franciscan order, known for his asceticism and closeness to the people. The first thing Francis said to the cardinals who elected him was: “I hope God forgives you for what you’ve just done.”
In early February, Nikas Safronov met with the Pope. The artist gave him a painting from the International Space Station. “I gave him a custom calendar featuring Alexander Pushkin. Of course, he loves painting too. When he saw the painting of the San José de Flores church in Buenos Aires, which we brought him, his eyes welled up. He was touched and said he had long wanted to see that painting,” the artist recounted.
Recently, the pontiff had been seriously ill. On February 14, he was hospitalized for bronchitis treatment. Tests revealed bilateral pneumonia. At the end of March, Francis was discharged from the hospital.
