Pope Francis, the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away on Monday, April 21 at 7:35am, the Vatican confirmed. He was 88 years old.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican’s TV channel this morning. “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.″
The Argentinian pope had been admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14 and was subsequently diagnosed with a respiratory tract infection and pneumonia in both lungs. His papacy was “marked by efforts to reform the Vatican’s bureaucracy, address clerical sexual abuse, and engage in interfaith dialogue,” the Irish Examiner said.
Vatican mourning rites last nine days, with the date of the funeral and burial to be decided by the cardinals. The process to elect a new pope, known as a conclave, will begin in Rome.
Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington Township posted the following to X.com:
Lori and I join the Catholic community in Pennsylvania and around the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis.
I was honored to meet the Pope during his 2015 visit to Pennsylvania. A few years later when he powerfully spoke out in the wake of the Grand Jury report on child abuse in our Commonwealth, he was the first of his position to finally acknowledge the suffering of survivors who have too long been ignored. He leaves a legacy of being a fighter for the defenseless — a teaching we should all learn from.
May his memory be a blessing.
In May 2016, Pope Francis named Reverend Monsignor Edward M. Deliman as an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Deliman previously served as parochial vicar at Saint Joseph Parish in Cheltenham Township and Saint John Bosco Parish in Hatboro, as well as over a dozen other parishes in the greater Philadelphia region. In May 2022, Pope Francis accepted Deliman’s retirement on the occasion of his 75th birthday.
In December 2023, the pontiff also appointed Father Efren V. Esmilla, pastor of Saint James the Great parish in Elkins Park, as an auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia.
In 2016, La Salle College High School graduates Kathy and Ward Fitzgerald were recognized with Papal Knighthood for their previous support of the Catholic Church during the World Meeting of Families with Pope Francis in Philadelphia.
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Photo: Wikipedia