Tributes pour in after pontiff’s death – as it happened (2025)

We’re wrapping up our live coverage of the global reaction to Pope Francis’ death aged 88. Our latest full report can be found here, and below is a recap of the key developments. Thanks for reading.

• Pope Francis died of a stroke and subsequent heart failure on Monday at 7.35am at his residence in the Vatican, it said. His cause of death was confirmed through an ECG test. The Vatican also said he had suffered from multiple bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

• The pontiff requested to be buried in a simple, unadorned tomb, the Vatican said. The pope confirmed in his will that he wished to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore church in Rome’s Esquilino neighbourhood, breaking with Vatican tradition. He wanted to be buried “in the ground, without particular decoration” but with the inscription of his papal name in Latin: Franciscus.

• The body of the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic church was transferred into a coffin in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta on Monday night. The coffin will be taken to St Peter’s basilica on Wednesday morning to allow the public to pay their respects.

• The pontiff almost died twice when hospitalised with severe pneumonia earlier this year, spending five weeks in hospital, but returned to his Vatican home almost a month ago and had seemed to be recovering, appearing in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.

• Cardinals will meet on Tuesday morning to decide the date of the pope’s funeral, which must take place between four and six days after death. The funeral will be followed by nine days of official mourning.

• Thousands of pilgrims and tourists flocked to St Peter’s Square, where prayers for the pope were held on Monday evening, while political and religious leaders around the world paid tribute to him.

• The pontiff’s death ended an often turbulent reign during his 12-year papacy in which he repeatedly clashed with traditionalists and championed the poor and marginalised, criticising corporate greed and social inequality.

• Manoeuvring within the Vatican over who is to succeed Francis and become the 268th head of the Catholic church is certain to begin over coming days and weeks amid the grieving, report Angela Giuffrida and Harriet Sherwood. Cardinals from around the world will head to Rome for a conclave, the secret election ritual involving about 138 cardinals who are eligible to vote. The conclave must begin its deliberations within 20 days of the pope’s death.

The pope’s will has been published on the Holy See’s website. The document – headed “Testament of the Holy Father Francis” and dated June 2022 – includes Francis’ desire for a “simple” tomb and its location. It also says he offers to God the suffering of his later years “for peace in the world and brotherhood among peoples”.

The testament, via the Holy See press office, reads in full:

In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

As I sense that the twilight of my earthly life is approaching, and with firm hope in Eternal Life, I wish to express my final wishes regarding my burial place.

I have always entrusted my life and priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy. Therefore, I ask that my mortal remains rest, awaiting the day of resurrection, in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

I wish that my final earthly journey conclude precisely in this ancient Marian shrine, where I go to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey to faithfully entrust my intentions to the Immaculate Mother and to give thanks for her gentle and maternal care.

I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side nave between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the aforementioned Papal Basilica, as indicated in the enclosed plan.

The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, and bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.

The expenses for the preparation of my burial will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I have arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. I have given the appropriate instructions to Msgr. Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Liberian Chapter.

May the Lord grant the deserved reward to those who have wished me well and will continue to pray for me. The suffering that marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and brotherhood among peoples.

Domus Sanctae Marthae, 29 June 2022

FRANCIS

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The death of Pope Francis has left millions of people in south-east Asia and the Pacific in deep mourning, as they remember a Catholic leader known for his humility, interfaith commitment and dedication to their region, Kate Lamb and Rebecca Ratcliffe report.

In tiny Timor-Leste, where more than 95% of people are Catholic, Francis was the first pope to visit since its independence. When he touched down in Dili last September, nearly half of the country’s population of 1.3 million turned out for his mass.

Timor-Leste’s president, Jose Ramos Horta, said on Monday: “He leaves behind a profound legacy of humanity, of justice, of human fraternity – a tremendous loss for the world, not only for Christians.”

In the Philippines, home to one of the world’s biggest Catholic populations, churches were ordered to ring bells for Francis. Across the country he was known affectionately as “Lolo Kiko”. “Kiko” is often used as a nickname for men whose name is “Francisco”, while “Lolo” means “Grandpa”.

In the coastal town of Lingayen, Archbishop Socrates Villegas described Pope Francis as the “Jesus for our age”.

Even in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, Indonesia, which Francis also visited last year, the pope is fondly remembered. In Jakarta he visited the country’s largest mosque and attended an interfaith dialogue, which was seen as a powerful show of religious tolerance and bridging inter-faith divides.

You can read the full report here:

Here are some of the latest images coming in as the tributes to Pope Francis continue worldwide after his death aged 88.

Continued from last post:

Mexico’s Basilica of Guadalupe houses the image of a dark-skinned Virgin Mary that Catholics believe miraculously became imprinted on a piece of fabric after she appeared before an indigenous peasant in 1531.

Francis fulfilled his wish in 2016 to pray alone silently in front of her image at the Mexico City basilica, one of the world’s most visited churches.

Archbishop Carlos Aguiar, who led Monday’s mass, described the shrine as Francis’ “favourite place” in Mexico.

That’s why we ask her [the Virgin of Guadalupe] to come to the Father’s house.

The Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said Francis’s passing was a “great loss”, calling him “a humanist who opted for the poor, peace and equality”.

Thousands of devotees have paid tribute to Pope Francis at a major shrine in Mexico where the pontiff prayed on a visit to the country, which has the world’s second-largest Catholic population.

At Mexico City’s Basilica of Guadalupe a mass was held on Monday in the pope’s honour, reports Agence France-Presse.

Esther Hernandez, a 35-year-old nun, said she was still in shock following Francis’ death on Monday aged 88. She said:

For us it was a blessing that he was from the American continent. Especially because he understood us, he understood our culture, he understood our language. He was a pontiff of the people.

Fernando Perez, a 32-year-old designer, praised Francis an example for others.

We are very sad, with mixed feelings knowing that he will no longer be with us, but we hope in prayer that the next successor of his holiness will also be able to preserve this legacy, that Francis’s legacy in the church will always last.

• Continued next post

The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and first lady Janja Lula will travel to Rome to attend the pope’s funeral, the Brazilian government has said.

Earlier on Monday Lula declared a seven-day mourning for Francis in Latin America’s biggest country “in his memory and in homage to his work”.

“Humanity loses today a voice of respect and welcome for others,” Lula said in a statement quoted by Reuters.

May God comfort those who today, everywhere in the world, suffer the pain of this enormous loss.

The government said confirmation of the travel date for the funeral depended on Vatican protocol.

Tom Phillips reported earlier today on Lula reflecting on the pontiff’s life and saying Francis “practised and preached in his daily life the love, tolerance and solidarity which are the basis of Christian teachings”.

Lula also highlighted how the pope highlighted climate change and “vigorously criticised” the economic models that had caused so much injustice.

More reaction now from Timor-Leste, Asia’s youngest nation, with President Jose Ramos-Horta hailing the pope’s “very brave” fight for peace and support of the world’s poorest people.

The Catholic-majority country will observe a week of mourning from Tuesday and fly flags at half-mast in Pope Francis’ honour.

“Not only the Catholics of East Timor but all religions and all communities feel the loss of the pope,” Ramos-Horta said in a video statement during a state visit to Bulgaria.

A pope who was very brave to fight against the world’s powers and fight for peace, and fight against people who cornered the poor and poor countries.

The Argentine pontiff visited East Timor – one of the world’s most Catholic countries – last September, as Agence France-Presse reports. He held a mass on the outskirts of Dili that authorities said attracted almost half of the country’s 1.3 million people.

The visit was part of a marathon trip that also included Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Singapore in between bouts of ill health.

The pontiff made a pointed call to Timorese leaders during that visit to do more on all forms of abuse after several high-profile child abuse scandals involving members of the nation’s clergy.

“It is still fresh in our minds, the pope’s visit to East Timor,” said Ramos-Horta, a Nobel laureate.

Before he left the airport, the pope held my hand and said ‘pay attention to these beloved people’.

Japan’s prime minister has said he is “deeply saddened” over the pope’s death and that the pontiff “worked hard to protect the environment and promote peaceful diplomacy”.

Ishiba Shigeru said in a statement:

The demise of Pope Francis is not only a great loss for the people of Vatican and Catholics but also for the international community.

Shigeru said the pontiff had visited Japan in 2019 – the first time for a pope in 38 years – and gone to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where “he delivered a powerful message of peace”.

Shigeru expressed his “heartfelt respect” for the pope’s achievements.

Cardinals are to meet on Tuesday to start planning Pope Francis’ funeral at St Peter’s Basilica, which must take place between four and six days after his death – between Friday and Sunday.

The pope’s apartment was formally sealed and his body moved to a wood and zinc coffin in the Santa Marta chapel on Monday evening, the Vatican said.

Agence France-Presse also reports that the coffin will be moved to St Peter’s Basilica – probably on Wednesday – to lie in state.

Francis had already announced he would be buried in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, in a break with tradition. He said in his will that he wanted a simple, unadorned tomb “with the only inscription: Franciscus” – Francis in Latin.

• This is Adam Fulton picking up our live coverage

“Early in his papacy Pope Francis said the name for God is mercy,” writes Francis Sullivan.

“He understood the church had become too doctrinaire, divisive and judgmental for too many people. The drift of Catholics from conventional practice in the west said as much. He knew the church had alienated the LGBTQ community, discriminated against women and resisted full participation for divorced and remarried Catholics. He acknowledged that previous popes had not confronted the clerical sex abuse scandal. He wanted to do better and the Catholic world was with him, the institution was not.

“The Catholic church by its nature is a conservative institution. It uses inertia as a management tool. Change is a slow and drawn-out affair. Francis regularly railed against clericalism because of its sense of entitlement and misuse of power. He saw it as one of the reasons why the church became obsessed with protecting its image instead of believing and caring for the victims of clerical sex abuse. He also realised the clerical instinct to protect their own and conceal their crimes was underpinned by their exclusive hold on the workings of the church.”

Here are some images coming to us from around the world.

In the Philippines, where about 80% of the country’s 110 million people are Roman Catholics, tributes continued.

Martin Romualdez, speaker of the house of representatives, wrote that he joined the world in mourning “our beloved Lolo Kiko” – the nickname given to Pope Francis in the Philippines. “Kiko” is often used for men whose name is “Francisco” or “Francis”, and “Lolo” is an affectionate term for “grandpa”.

“To us Filipinos … he was more than the leader of the Catholic church. He was a source of strength, comfort, and hope,” said Romualdez.

Romualdez cited the Pope’s visit to Tacloban, the area worst affected by the devastating Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines in 2013, killing more than 6,000 people.

“I will never forget how he came to Tacloban … stood with us in the rain, and spoke to our pain. In that moment, we felt the embrace of a father.

“Lolo Kiko reminded us that true faith is lived through compassion, humility, and service. He gave voice to the poor, dignity to the forgotten, and hope to the weary.

“The world has lost a remarkable soul. But the love and light he shared will remain with us.

“Rest in peace, Lolo Kiko. Maraming salamat sa lahat. You will forever be in our hearts.”

New Zealand Catholics will hold special masses across the country in the coming days, as they mourn the death of Pope Francis.

The bishop of Auckland, Steve Lowe, who is the president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, said Catholics across the country “are praying for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis in thanksgiving for his servant leadership”.

“While he didn’t set foot on our shores, we know the deep love that Pope Francis had for the Catholic faithful scattered across the world.”

The Catholic Diocese of Christchurch said Pope Francis was a source of inspiration “through his compassion, humility, and faith”.

“Pope Francis touched the lives of millions with his message of love, mercy, and hope … Pope Francis will be remembered not only for his teachings but also for his tireless efforts to bridge divides between people of all backgrounds.”

Bishops will announce details for special masses in the coming days.

Flags on New Zealand’s public buildings have been lowered to half-mast and will be lowered again on the day of Francis’s funeral.

News channels across the world reported on the death of Pope Francis on 21 April. Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic church, died aged 88.