Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday. He was 88.
What to know:
- Cause of death: The Vatican says Pope Francis died of a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure. The death was confirmed Monday by Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, the head of the Vatican’s health department. Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was hospitalized for 38 days earlier this year following a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
- The next pope is still to be decided: The death of a pope sets in motion a series of carefully orchestrated rites and rituals. Eligible cardinals will eventually vote for a papal successor in the Sistine Chapel in a process known as “the Conclave.”
- Francis charmed some and alienated others: The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought a breath of fresh air into a 2,000-year-old institution that had seen its influence wane during the troubled tenure of Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis’ election. But Francis soon invited troubles of his own, and conservatives grew increasingly upset with his progressive bent, outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and crackdown on traditionalists.
The pope’s apartment is sealed with a red ribbon and wax
Sealing up the pope’s formal apartment at the Apostolic Palace is a key part of Catholic tradition declaring a “sede vacante” or vacant see — the period between the death of one pope and the election of another.
Officials draped a red ribbon through the door handles on Monday afternoon, then poured liquid wax on the bow and impressed Francis’ papal seal on the wax to hold the knot.
The camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, and other church leaders tested the big doors to make sure they were locked tight.
AP Photos: A Rosary prayer for Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square
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