Pope Francis died early today, Apr. 21. No cause of death was provided by the Vatican, but Francis has been experiencing serious health issues the past few months. After a case of Bronchitis and double pneumonia, Francis has dealt with constant respiratory complications and mobility issues.
“I wasn’t really surprised,” Catholic sophomore Virginia Johnson said. “I feel like it’s a long time coming, and he probably just wanted to wait it out for Easter.”
Francis ignored doctor’s orders to avoid large crowds, making public appearances and celebrating Easter yesterday. Pope Francis even met with Vice President JD Vance in the White House yesterday where the pair discussed their shared Catholic faith and Francis gave Vance Easter gifts for himself and his family.
Pope Francis has been a revolutionary figure for the Catholic Church, bringing never-before-seen inclusivity to the Church’s teachings.
“He took Jesus’ teachings at face value in a way that we don’t usually see,” Johnson said. “That was great of him. And also controversial for no reason.”
As the first Latin American pope, he embraced LGBTQ+ members saying “being homosexual is not a crime,” fought for religious coexistence, defended immigrants (particularly in America), steered away from strict implementation of the church’s doctrine and advocated for the fight against climate change.
“He was a very moving person,” Catholic senior America Arellano said. “Very inspirational, especially in such a changing society.”
So now that the Pope position is vacant, what happens next? First, a funeral Mass will be held for Francis, who asked for a simple wooden casket and to not be placed on a raised platform for visitors, unlike many of his predecessors.
After the funeral, the church will undergo a 15 day mourning period before beginning a conclave to elect a new Pope. During the conclave, the cardinals must have a two thirds plus one vote majority to elect the new Pope. Once a Pope is chosen, paper ballots are set on fire to emit smoke out of the chimney, signifying a conclusive vote. The newly elected Pope will then greet the crowd.
“I hope the next Pope follows in his steps,” Arellano said.
Interview contributions by Ashley Peña
