Pope Francis Head of Roman Catholic Church Dies at 88 years

The Vatican has announced the death of Pope Francis on 21st April 2025. He was 88 years old and recently suffered from a serious bout of pneumonia. Pope Francis was the first Latin American Cardinal to be elected as the leader of the Roman Catholics. According to the Vatican, Pope Francis passed away at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta, located adjacent to St. Peter’s Basilica.

President Droupadi Murmu to attend Pope Francis Funeral

President Droupadi Murmu will attend the funeral of Pope Francis on 26 April 2025.

She will pay homage to Pope Francis by laying a wreath at the Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City.  

She will be accompanied by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian and Deputy Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly Joshua De Souza.

The Government of India has declared 26th April a day of mourning in respect of Pope Francis

About Pope Francis 

Argentinian Cardinal Bergoglio was elected Pope in 2013 and took the name Pope Francis. He was elected for the post after the previous  Pope Benedict XVI voluntarily retired in 2013. Pope Benedict XVI was the first pope in 600 years to retire. Normally, a person is elected as pope for a lifetime.

Cardinal Bergoglio was the first Cardinal from Latin America or the southern hemisphere to be elected as Pope. 

Before Cardinal Bergoglio, Syrian-born Gregory III (died in 741 AD) was the last non-European to be elected as Pope.

Unique feature about Pope Francis 

• Pope Francis was the first Jesuit to be elected as the Pope
• Pope Francis will be buried in the Basilica of St Mary Major, the first Pope in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican.
• A basilica is a church that has been granted special significance and privileges by the Roman Catholic Church, specifically the Vatican. 

How is the Pope elected? 

• The new Pope will be chosen after the end of the mourning period for Pope Francis.
• A College of Cardinals will choose the new Pope. The College consists of the most senior officials of the Catholic Church.
• The members of the College of Cardinals are normally appointed by the Pope.
• Members above 80 years of age are not eligible to vote in the election of new cardinals.
• The vote is conducted in strict secrecy and held inside the Sistine Chapel, famously painted by Michelangelo.
• At present, the College of Cardinals consist of 252 cardinals, and only 138 are eligible to vote, 138 of whom are eligible to vote for the new Pope.

Colour of Smoke 

• The election of a pope could take weeks or months.
• Every day, eligible members of the College vote, and if they fail to elect a Pope with the required majority, a subsequent round of voting takes place.
• After every round of voting, the ballot papers are burned
• If the smoke that comes out of the chimney is black, then it signals that no pope has been elected yet.
• If white smoke comes out of the chimney, then it signals the election of a new pope.

Who is the Pope?

• Pope, which in Greek means Father, is a title given to the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
• The Pope is the sovereign leader of the Vatican City, an enclave within Rome, Italy.
• The Vatican is also referred to as the Holy See, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church's government, located in the Vatican.
• Saint Peter, one of Jesus Christ's 12 disciples, is considered the first Pope by the Roman Catholic Church.