“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said in the announcement.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.”
The statement continued, “He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for 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 God, One and Tribune.″
His worshippers are willing to pay top dollar for his hair, which they believe has healing powers. They can play with toy action figures made in his likeness. They gather from around the world to see his wax-encased body decked out in sneakers, jeans and a sweatshirt, but Carlo Acutis’s adoring flock is going to have to wait for the late teen to officially become a saint in the wake of Pope Francis’ death.
Acutis’ canonization was scheduled for Sunday in St. Peter’s Square on the occasion of the first-ever Jubilee of Teenagers dedicated to young people, who will have a unique experience of “faith, spiritual growth, and intercultural exchange,” according to Vatican officials.
But the long-awaited canonization has been indefinitely postponed.
A celebrated Argentinian chef and restaurateur who crafted a home-cooked meal for Pope Francis during his visit to New York City recalled his extensive preparation for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, including constructing a "holy grill" specially for the occasion.
Ismael Alba, 66, is a chef and owner of Buenos Aires, a top-ranked Argentinian restaurant in the East Village.
Chef Ismael Alba cooked Pope Francis a meal during his visit to New York City in 2015. James Messerschmidt
In 2015, he was specifically chosen by a group of priests and United Nations officials to cook for the pontiff -- who was born and raised in the South American country -- during his highly anticipated trip to New York City.
The Argentinian silversmith who fashioned chalices for Pope Francis, including the one used at Madison Square Garden in 2015, told The Post Monday that his beloved friend would always make him feel like the most important person in the room.
Adrian Pallarols, who worked with the late pontiff for 30 years after meeting in their native Buenos Aires, Argentina, recalled designing the special Communion chalice used by Pope Francis when he hosted Mass at Madison Square Garden nearly a decade ago.
But he said their bond stretched much further beyond any working relationship.
Pope Francis was once captured consoling a sobbing little Italian boy who had asked if his dead atheist father had still gone to heaven in a touching video.
The footage of the tear-jerking encounter resurfaced Monday after the pontiff’s death, as the world remembered some of the most heartfelt moments of his papacy.
The emotional video captured the child, named Emanuele, trying to ask the pope a question during a visit to the St. Paul of the Cross Parish in Rome in April 2018.
Pope Francis died of a stroke, which led to a coma and ultimately “irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse,’’ the Vatican announced Monday afternoon.
Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, head of the Vatican’s health department, revealed the pontiff’s cause of death and noted that in addition to the cerebral stroke, the 88-year-old pope was suffering from pneumonia in both lungs, which caused episodes of respiratory insufficiency, according to AP.
Pope Francis was elected pontiff on March 13, 2013. His election came after Pope Benedict XVI stepped down as pontiff.
Francis, whose birth name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected on the second day of the conclave. He is the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere. He was also the first Jesuit pope elected.
At the time of the conclave, Pope Francis was 76 years old when he was elected. He was 88 at the time of his death.
Before he was pope, Francis was cardinal of Buenos Aires. He was elevated to cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
Pope Francis (right) meeting with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (left) at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery at the Vatican in 2013. AFP/Getty Images
"It is with immense sadness that Paul and I join our fellow Catholics and people of faith around the world in mourning the loss of His Holiness Pope Francis: a beacon of charity, hope and love for all people of faith," she wrote.
She called the pope's death "devastating."
"He reminded us of our inescapable duty to those struggling to escape poverty and persecution in our communities and around the world," she said.
She concluded her statement with, "May he rest in peace."
Pope Francis passed away at 88. He was elected pontiff in 2013. Getty Images
Admirers of Pope Francis mourned the late pontiff on Monday, April 21, 2025. A number of worshippers flocked to Vatican City. People went to their local churches to pray.
A number of world leaders and celebrities paid tribute to the late pope on Monday.
A worshipper sits in a pew inside The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, informally known as Westminster Cathedral, in central London on April 21, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
A woman prays inside Buenos Aires' Metropolitan Cathedral, on Monday, April 21, 2025. REUTERS
The canonization of the first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis, has been temporarily put on hold following Pope Francis' death.
He was slated to be canonized on Sunday. A number of worshippers have flocked to Assisi, Italy, to view his body. He died in 2006 after a battle with leukemia.
His canonization will be postponed for at least a week.
