Pope Francis has died at 88. Though many expected his declining respiratory health to be the cause, the Vatican confirmed he passed from a “massive stroke leading to irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.” One Vatican aide shared, “He became unresponsive within 30 minutes of waking… he never regained consciousness.”

In recent months, Francis battled bronchitis and a severe lung infection, receiving oxygen therapy and a blood transfusion. Despite critical warnings from doctors, he surprised many with a public appearance on Easter, where he smiled and said, “Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter.” It would be his final moment in the public eye.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, he became the first Latin American and Jesuit pope in 2013. He chose to live modestly, often carrying his own bag, and took the name Francis “after St. Francis of Assisi,” signaling his mission for the poor and marginalized.

His papacy was marked by compassion, bold reforms, and advocacy for climate justice, LGBTQ+ dialogue, and the poor. “Faith is not about condemnation but compassion,” he once said.Pope Francis will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica before being buried at Santa Maria Maggiore. “He shook us out of our complacency,” Michelle Obama said.