By Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, has died at age 88 following a stroke and irreversible heart failure, the Vatican confirmed in a statement on Monday.
The global Catholic community is mourning the passing of a pope widely regarded for his humility, compassion, and reformist zeal. From South Sudan to Argentina and the Philippines to Poland, tributes have poured in from all corners of the world.
In a moving final testament released by the Vatican, Pope Francis expressed a deeply personal wish to be buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome — without elaborate decoration.
“I ask that my mortal remains rest… in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major,” he wrote, citing a lifelong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. “I wish my tomb… to be simple… bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.”
The Pope’s testament also detailed that a benefactor would cover the cost of his burial and named Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas as the one entrusted to carry out the arrangements.
He concluded his final words by offering his suffering “to the Lord, for peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples.
