Pope Francis, an energetic reformer who inspired widespread devotion from Catholics, but riled traditionalists, died yesterday aged 88, just a day after greeting delighted worshipers after Easter Mass.
The death of the Argentine pontiff, leader of the Catholic Church since March 2013, came less than a month after having been released from hospital following a 38-day battle with double pneumonia.
Some visitors to St Peters Square — where a frail-looking Francis was cheered by Easter Sunday worshipers during an unscheduled appearance just a day earlier — were left in tears at the news.
Photo: Reuters
“Dearest brothers and sisters, it is with deep sorrow that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in the statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel. “This morning at 7:35am the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.”
“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church,” said the statement, released shortly before 10am.
World leaders paid tribute to his moral and spiritual leadership, and countries began preparations to mark his death.
In Taipei, President William Lai (賴清德) expressed his condolences on X: “My sincerest condolences on behalf of the people of Taiwan to the Catholic community and everyone mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. We will continue to draw inspiration from his lifelong commitment to peace, global solidarity, and caring for those in need.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Lai had instructed the Embassy of the Republic of China to the Holy See to extend sincere condolences on behalf of the government and people of Taiwan to the Vatican.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) also contacted the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Taipei to express condolences.
Because Taiwan and the Holy See have close diplomatic ties, the president is to pick a high-level official to serve as his special envoy to attend Pope Francis’ funeral, the ministry said.
Senior government officials are also attend a memorial mass in Taipei for the late pope to be organized by the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Taipei, the ministry said.
Francis’ death sets in motion centuries-old traditions that will culminate in the gathering of a conclave of cardinals to choose a successor.
In the next four to six days the Vatican’s cardinals are to decide on the pope’s funeral date, at which point his coffin is to be transferred to St Peter’s Basilica.
In the meantime, the day-to-day running of the tiny Vatican City state will be handled by the Camerlengo, a senior cardinal, currently Dublin-born Cardinal Farrell.
Francis’ body was at 8pm to be laid in its coffin in the chapel at the Saint Martha residence where he lived, the Vatican said, while the Rosary prayer was to be held “in the middle of the day.”
World leaders praised Francis for having strongly defended social justice and the rights of migrants.
Britain’s King Charles III, who met Francis during a state visit earlier this month, said the pope had “served with such devotion.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said “a great man has left us” in a statement, while Argentine President Javier Milei pointed to his compatriot’s “goodness and wisdom” despite their “differences.”European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Francis had “inspired millions ... with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate”.
US Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert who briefly met Francis on Sunday while on a trip to Rome with his family, said his “heart goes out” to Christians. The White House wrote “Rest in Peace” on X.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was grieving and Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the pope’s promotion of dialogue between the Orthodox and Catholic churches.
Francis’s pontificate was also marked by pushing through governance reforms and tackling the scourge of clerical sex abuse of children.
However, critics accused him of creating doctrinal confusion and failing to defend traditional Catholic beliefs on key issues such as abortion and divorce.
Francis’ desire to chart a different path was evident right to the end, with his decision to be buried not in St Peter’s Basilica, but in Rome’s Santa Maria Maggiore basilica.
He will become the first pope in more than 100 years to be laid to rest outside the Vatican.
Francis also rejected the tradition of popes having three coffins, instead choosing to be buried in just one.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
‘FORM OF PROTEST’: The German Institute Taipei said it was ‘shocked’ to see Nazi symbolism used in connection with political aims as it condemned the incident Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 yesterday amid an outcry over a Nazi armband he wore to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case on Tuesday night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and apparently covering the book with a coat. This is a serious international scandal and Chinese
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE TRAINING: The ministry said 87.5 percent of the apprehended Chinese agents were reported by service members they tried to lure into becoming spies Taiwanese organized crime, illegal money lenders, temples and civic groups are complicit in Beijing’s infiltration of the armed forces, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a report yesterday. Retired service members who had been turned to Beijing’s cause mainly relied on those channels to infiltrate the Taiwanese military, according to the report to be submitted to lawmakers ahead of tomorrow’s hearing on Chinese espionage in the military. Chinese intelligence typically used blackmail, Internet-based communications, bribery or debts to loan sharks to leverage active service personnel to do its bidding, it said. China’s main goals are to collect intelligence, and develop a
RSS