* Pontiff had recently called Gaza crisis “shameful” and urged immediate ceasefire
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday, hours after speaking on the deplorable State of Gaza Easter Sunday mass.
Pope Francis died at age 88 after suffering a prolonged illness, the Vatican announced on Monday, adding that he had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican’s TV channel, noting, “At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”
Before his recent five-week stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, Francis had been ramping up criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, calling the situation “very serious and shameful” in January.
Muslim News gathered that Pope Francis also called for a ceasefire in Gaza during a fleeting appearance before thousands of Catholic pilgrims that gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Vatican’s open-air Easter Sunday mass.
Pope Francis held a private meeting with US Vice President Vance on April 20, one of his last footage before he passed away on April 21.
Was GAZA ever even mentioned by either? Vance meets Pope Francis on Easter Sunday after tangle over migration, gets chocolate eggs for kids https://t.co/CNw8pwP0xE
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— George Lewis (@tommytom9000) April 21, 2025
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on 13th March 2013. Born in Buenos Aires on Dec. 17, 1936, to Italian immigrant parents.
He studied in Argentina and later in Germany before being ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969.
Over a decade into his papacy, Pope Francis remained a figure of admiration and controversy.
He sought to reform the Vatican’s bureaucracy, tackle corruption, and address some of the Church’s most pressing challenges.
While he had been hailed for his humility and commitment to social justice, his leadership had also drawn sharp resistance from conservatives within the Church and beyond.
Pope Francis has died at 88.
His final message: a call for a Gaza ceasefire.
“This is cruelty. This is not war,” he said after Israel killed 7 children in Jabalia.
He called Gaza’s suffering “deplorable” — and made nightly calls to Christians trapped there.
A pope who broke… pic.twitter.com/KekAvpSkVQ
— Mondoweiss (@Mondoweiss) April 21, 2025
Palestinian, and Palestinian Christians in particular, have lost a dear friend today. Pope Francis was beloved in Palestine. He conveyed true compassion to Palestinians, most notably to those in Gaza during this genocide. His pastoral heart was evident in his insistence on… pic.twitter.com/wDvgExuEhR
— Munther Isaac منذر اسحق (@MuntherIsaac) April 21, 2025
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