By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News

On the morning of Monday, April 21, at 7:35 a.m. CEST, Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, was pronounced dead.

This announcement comes after a 38-day stay in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital following a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.

Pope Francis was elected to the position in March 2013. He was the first Pope from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere.

The official cause of death has not been released.

In a statement read by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican shares:

“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow, I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, The Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the Father’s house. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and 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 Triune.’’

Leaders from across the globe have expressed their condolences for the leader. President Donald Trump shared in a Truth Social post,” Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”

The last public appearance from Francis came on Easter Sunday to bless thousands of attendees in St. Peters Square.

The death of Francis starts a weekslong process of grieving for the church. Starting with Vatican Officials, faithful worldwide will have the opportunity to pay their final respects to the leader. This will be followed by a funeral procession and a conclave of Cardinals to elect a new pope.

The first formal ritual will occur at 8 p.m. on Monday, where the Pope will be confirmed dead and his body placed into a coffin.

Update 12:15 p.m. 4-21-25

The Vatican announced that the pope died from a cerebral stroke, which put the leader of the Catholic Church into a coma. The stroke also led to irreversible heart failure. The death was confirmed by Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, the head of the Vatican’s health department. In a statement by the Vatican, it is also shared that Pope Francis suffered from episodes of respiratory insufficiency and had had bilateral pneumonia, as well as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

This story may be updated.