BREAKING: Pope Francis Dies at 88

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, passed away in the early hours of Easter Monday, beginning the process of conclave, in which the church will select its new leader.

The pope had met with Vice President JD Vance the day before.

“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the church, said in an announcement Monday. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”

The pope had been admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital on Friday, Feb. 14, after suffering bronchitis for several days. The doctors diagnosed him with bilateral pneumonia on Feb. 18. Francis had returned to his Vatican residence after 38 days in the hospital before passing Monday, Vatican News reported.

Vance had met with the pope Sunday, and commented on his passing Monday morning.

“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis,” the vice president wrote in a post on X. “My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.”

“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill,” Vance added.

While Vance has not always seen eye to eye with the pontiff, he praised a sermon Francis gave in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID,” the vice president wrote. “It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul.”

Francis’ early-COVID sermon discussed Jesus’ rebuke to his disciples in Mark 4. In that passage, the disciples had become fearful on a boat amid a storm, and they woke Jesus in a panic that they might die. Jesus rebuked them, saying, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” Jesus then miraculously calmed the storm.

Pope Francis’ passing begins the process of the College of Cardinals selecting a new pope. The process may take a long or short time, depending on the cardinals’ decision.

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