Skip next section Patriarch of Jerusalem mourns Pope FrancisApril 21, 2025
Patriarch of Jerusalem mourns Pope FrancisTheophilos III, the patriarch of Jerusalem, joined in mourning Pope Francis.
“Pope Francis’ life was a luminous testament to the Gospel, a tireless witness to Christ’s boundless mercy, a steadfast champion for the poor, and a beacon of peace and reconciliation among all peoples,” he said in a statement. “His example reminds us of the Lord’s call: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.'”
Theophilos III added that Francis’ final wishes reflected his devotion to Christ.
“Even in frailty and suffering, the late Holy Father revealed the strength of true discipleship, embracing the Cross with humility and hope, teaching us that the life of a Christian is one of sacrificial love. His final wishes, for a funeral marked by simplicity and faith, reflect his soul’s devotion to the Risen Christ, and to the Church as a humble flock of believers, not as a worldly kingdom,” Theophilos III wrote.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMr9
Skip next section Philippines’ Marcos says Francis’s ‘heart open to all’April 21, 2025
Philippines’ Marcos says Francis’s ‘heart open to all’Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has joined the outpouring of grief over the death of Pope Francis, calling him a man of “profound faith and humility.”
“Pope Francis led not only with wisdom but with a heart open to all, especially the poor and forgotten,” said Marcos, who leads Asia’s largest Catholic country — the third biggest in the world. “It is a profoundly sad day,” Marcos said on his Facebook page.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMq3
Skip next section Argentina’s Milei hails Francis’s ‘wisdom’ despite ‘differences’April 21, 2025
Argentina’s Milei hails Francis’s ‘wisdom’ despite ‘differences’Argentine President Javier Milei has paid tribute to Pope Francis’s “goodness and wisdom” despite the pair’s very public “differences.”
“In spite of differences that today seem minor, to have known him in his goodness and wisdom was a true honor for me,” Milei posted on X.
The Argentine pope’s relationship with politics in his homeland was evidenced in his dealings with radical right-winger Milei.
Before the Argentine president took office in late 2023, he accused the pope of political interference and called him an “imbecile” who “promotes communism.”
Milei subsequently apologized and was received by Francis at the Vatican shortly after his election.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMnu
Skip next section Mourners gather at Saint Peter’s SquareApril 21, 2025
Mourners gather at Saint Peter’s SquarePeople gathered at Saint Peter’s Square, where the pope had been a day earlier, after the announcementImage: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty ImagesA hush descended the Vatican’s Saint Peter’s Square as the sound of bells rang out there and across surrounding Rome.
Tour groups continued to walk through the plaza as quiet mourners leaned against a barricade to pray for the deceased pope.
“He lived this Easter and then he went,” the AFP news agency cited Cesarina Cireddu from Sardinia as saying with tears in her eyes. “He’s actually returned to the Lord — and godspeed.”
Nuns were among those who gathered at Saint Peter’s SquareImage: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images “We have lost our spiritual father,” said Venezuelan Riccardo Vielma, a student priest. “This is the moment for all of humanity to unite and pray for him.”
Mourners also walked in a procession of grief for the late pontiff.
Pope Francis had suffered a serious bout of double pneumonia this year, but his death came as a shock after he had been driven around St. Peter’s Square in an open-air popemobile a day earlier.
Worshipppers take part in a procession of mourning for the late popeImage: Remo Casilli/REUTERS https://p.dw.com/p/4tMlo
Skip next section Spain declares three days of mourning for Pope FrancisApril 21, 2025
Spain declares three days of mourning for Pope FrancisSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote he was “saddened by the passing of Pope Francis.”
“His commitment to peace, social justice, and the most vulnerable leaves a profound legacy,” Sanchez wrote on X.
The Spanish government declared three days of mourning.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMln
Skip next section Key dates in the life of Pope FrancisApril 21, 2025
Key dates in the life of Pope FrancisDec. 17, 1936: Jorge Mario Bergoglio is born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the eldest of five children to Mario Jose Bergoglio, an accountant from Italy, and Regina Maria Sivori, the daughter of Italian immigrants.
Dec. 13, 1969: Ordained a priest with the Jesuit religious order during Argentina’s murderous dictatorship that began in the 1970s.
May 20, 1992: Named auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires and in 1998 succeeds Cardinal Antonio Quarracino as archbishop of the Argentine capital.
Feb. 21, 2001: Elevated to cardinal by then pope and now Saint John Paul II.
March 13, 2013: Elected 266th pope, the first from the Americas, the first Jesuit and the first to take the name of Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi.
Nov. 26, 2013: Issues mission statement for his papacy in Evangelii Gaudium, (“The Joy of the Gospel”), denouncing the world financial system that excludes the poor.
May 25, 2014: Makes an unscheduled stop to pray at wall separating Israel from West Bank town of Bethlehem, in a show of support for the Palestinian cause. He later hosts Israeli and Palestinian presidents for peace prayers in the Vatican gardens.
June 18, 2015: Issues his environmental manifesto “Laudato Si” (“Praised Be”), accuses the “structurally perverse” global economic system that as turned Earth into “an immense pile of filth.”
Sept. 8, 2015: Overhauls the annulment process to make it faster, cheaper and easier for divorced Catholics to remarry in the church.
Feb. 18, 2016: Prays for dead migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, later says then-presidential candidate Donald Trump is “not a Christian” for wanting to build a border wall.
April 16, 2016: Visits a refugee camp in Lesbos, Greece, and brings 12 Syrian Muslims to Rome aboard his papal plane in an appeal for solidarity toward migrants.
April 12, 2018: Admits to “grave errors” in judgment in Chile’s sex abuse scandal.
Aug. 3, 2018: Declares capital punishment “inadmissible” under all circumstances in a change to official church teaching.
Feb. 4, 2019: Signs the “Human Fraternity” document with the imam of Al Azhar, establishing collaborative relations between Catholics and Muslims.
Feb. 16, 2019: Defrocks Cardinal Theodore McCarrick after Vatican investigation finds he sexually abused minors and adults.
Feb. 12, 2020: Declines to approve ordination of married men as priests.
March 5-8, 2021: Becomes first pope to visit Iraq, meeting with its top Shiite Muslim cleric.
March 29, 2023: Is admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for respiratory infection; is released April 1.
June 7, 2023: Undergoes surgery to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in the abdominal wall.
Oct. 4, 2023: Opens a synod on making the church more responsive to ordinary faithful during which women are allowed to vote alongside bishops for the first time.
Dec. 19, 2023: Approves blessings for same-sex couples provided they don’t resemble marriage, sparking fierce opposition from conservative bishops in Africa, Asia and elsewhere.
Sept. 10, 2024: Some 600,000 people, half of East Timor’s population, attend Francis’ Mass in Dili in what is believed to be the biggest turnout for a papal event in terms of the proportion of the population.
Feb. 14, 2025: Is hospitalized after a bout of bronchitis worsens and then develops into a complex lung infection and double pneumonia.
March 23, 2025: Is released from the hospital after 38 days of treatment but looks weak and frail.
April 20, 2025: Imparts the Easter Urbi et Orbi blessing from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, then surprises the 35,000 faithful with a long ride in the popemobile, in what would become his final goodbye to the faithful.
April 21, 2025: Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo, announces from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where Francis lived that the pope died at 7:35 a.m.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMhh
Skip next section Putin praises pope’s ‘values of humanism and justice’April 21, 2025
Putin praises pope’s ‘values of humanism and justice’Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed the late Pope Francis as a “defender” of “humanism and justice,” praising his efforts to promote dialogue between the Orthodox and Catholic churches.
Putin praised the “wise” pontiff as a “consistent defender of the high values of humanism and justice,” in a letter to the Vatican published by the Kremlin.
He added that Francis had “actively promoted dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMhg
Skip next section Anglican church head hails pope’s leadershipApril 21, 2025
Anglican church head hails pope’s leadershipThe most senior cleric in the Church of England has hailed Francis’s “desire to lead and build the church in new ways.” Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell hailed the deceased pope’s “service of the poor and said
Pope Francis was “acutely aware of the divisions between our churches and how they stand in the way of seeing Jesus Christ more fully.”
Cottrell has taken over as interim head of the Anglican Church across the globe after ex-Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby admitted errors over an abuse scandal.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMgB
Skip next section Eiffel Tower to go dark for Pope FrancisApril 21, 2025
Eiffel Tower to go dark for Pope FrancisParis’ Eiffel Tower will go dark on Monday evening, in a tribute to Pope Francis, the French capital’s Mayor Anne Hidalgo said.
Paris was planning to name a site in the French capital after Francis who, she said, had placed “ecology at the center of spiritual concerns” and had argued in favour of “welcoming refugees.”
As a mark of respect, the bells at Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral rang out 88 times on Monday morning.
A press statement from the iconic Cathedral said the “88 rings for 88 years of life” would be followed by a full ringing of the cathedral’s bells before a noon Mass in Francis’s honor.
Notre Dame, which reopened in December following a devastating fire in April 2019, plans to hold a further mass to remember the pope on Monday evening.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMg8
Skip next section Italy’s Meloni says world has lost ‘great man’April 21, 2025
Italy’s Meloni says world has lost ‘great man’Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the world has lost a great leader with the death of Francis, but added that his legacy would live on.
“Pope Francis has returned to the father’s house. This news deeply saddens us, because we are losing a great man and a great shepherd,” Meloni wrote on the social media platform X.
“I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice and his teachings, which never failed me, even in times of trial and suffering,” she wrote.
Meloni said the world should follow Francis’ “path of peace” and pursue “a more just and equitable society.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMfX
Skip next section Germany’s Scholz, Steinmeier send condolencesApril 21, 2025
Germany’s Scholz, Steinmeier send condolencesGerman President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have joined other world leaders in sending their condolences following the death of Pope Francis.
Steinmeier said the world has lost a “shining beacon of hope, a credible advocate of humanity, and a convincing Christian.”
“His modesty, his spontaneity, and his humor, but above all his palpably deep faith, touched people all over the world and gave them support, strength, and guidance,” Steinmeier said in a statement.
Scholz praised the pontiff as a champion for the weak.
“With Pope Francis, the Catholic Church and the world are losing an advocate for the weak, a reconciler, and a warm-hearted person, Scholz wrote on X.
“I greatly appreciated his clear view of the challenges that concern us,” the Social Democrat politician continued. “My sympathies go out to the religious community worldwide.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMad
Skip next section India’s Modi says ‘deeply pained’April 21, 2025
India’s Modi says ‘deeply pained’Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he is “deeply pained” by the death of Pope Francis, saying that the pontiff had served the poor and given hope to the suffering.
“Pope Francis will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the world,” the Hindu-nationalist leader said. “I fondly recall my meetings with him and was greatly inspired by his commitment to inclusive and all-round development.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMaf
Skip next section What happens after Pope Francis’ death?April 21, 2025
What happens after Pope Francis’ death?Pope Francis’ death sets into play a centuries-old process of traditions that will culminate in the election by cardinals of a new pontiff.
The Catholic Church enters a period called “Sede Vacante” (Vacant See) during which a senior cardinal presides over day-to-day papal affairs until a new pope is elected.
The cardinal, known as the “camerlengo” (“chamberlain”), will be Irish-American Kevin Farrell, who was appointed to the role by Francis in February 2019.
Farrell is the only top official in the Church hierarchy who remains in post, with all others required to resign following the pope’s death.
Traditionally, the main role of the camerlengo has been to certify the pope’s death — once done by tapping the pontiff’s forehead three times with a special silver hammer and calling out his birth name.
He is also charged with destroying the “Fisherman’s Ring,” a gold signet ring that was once used to seal documents specially cast for each new pope.
Its destruction was originally intended to prevent forgery but today the act symbolizes the end of a papacy.
It takes place in the presence of the cardinals at their first gathering during the Sede Vacante.
Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell announces the death of Pope FrancisImage: Vatican Media/ANSA/picture alliance https://p.dw.com/p/4tMZZ
Skip next section ‘Heart goes out’ to Christians after pope’s death, says VanceApril 21, 2025
‘Heart goes out’ to Christians after pope’s death, says VanceUS Vice President JD Vance briefly met with the pope on Easter SundayImage: Vatican Media/REUTERSUS Vice President JD Vance, who briefly met Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, paid his own tribute to the late pontiff on social media.
“Just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,” Vance wrote on X.
“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul.”
Vance spent Easter in Rome with his family and as well as exchanging Easter greetings with the pope, he met with a senior Vatican cardinal on Saturday.
The talks followed a row earlier this year between the church at the Trump administration over the mass deportation of migrants from the US.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMZb
Skip next section Read DW’s obituary for Pope FrancisApril 21, 2025
Read DW’s obituary for Pope FrancisJorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina was chosen to be the Catholic Church’s 266th Pope in 2013.
He was the first pontiff to choose the name Francis — recalling Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology and of animals.
Just like St. Francis, who renounced all riches and lived in poverty, Pope Francis rejected the usual pomp of papal palaces, living in a small suite in the Vatican guesthouse known as Santa Marta.
He stood up for refugees and the homeless and fought for the protection of the environment and the climate.
Read more of our obituary for Pope Francis.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tMYu
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