Pope Francis, whose time as head of the Catholic Church was noted for humility and outreach efforts to people of disparate backgrounds and faiths, has died at 88, the Vatican said.
The pontiff's funeral is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, according to the Vatican. Francis' death on Monday came after a series of worsening health problems, including a diagnosis of double pneumonia that put him in the hospital for more than a month earlier this year.
Watch ABC News live coverage of the funeral for Pope Francis on Saturday starting at 3:30 a.m. ET on ABC stations and streaming on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Apr 21, 2025, 2:18 PM EDT
Pope Francis' death certificate released
Pope Francis’ death certificate, released by the Vatican, said he died in his apartment at 7:35 a.m. from cerebral stroke, coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.
Cerebral stroke means there was a loss of blood flow to the brain. An irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse indicates he had a sudden failure of the heart to maintain blood flow throughout the body.
He was also affected by "previous episode of acute respiratory failure in bilateral multimicrobial pneumonia, multiple bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension and type II diabetes," according to the death certificate.
Apr 21, 2025, 2:05 PM EDT
Rosary prayer service underway in St. Peter’s Square
A rosary prayer service is underway in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.
Ahead of the first reading, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of Saint Peter's Basilica, read an introduction. He noted how Pope Francis asked people to pray for him so many times, and now, "we want to pray for him."
Faithful wait for a rosary prayer for the late Pope Francis, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, April 21, 2025.
Alessandra Tarantino/AP
Faithful gather for a rosary prayer for the late Pope Francis, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, April 21, 2025.
Alessandra Tarantino/AP
"We want to thank the Lord for the gifts he has given to the entire Church with the apostolic ministry of Pope Francis, a pilgrim of hope who does not disappoint, and we want to entrust him to the Merciful Father, in communion with Mary, Queen of Heaven, and through the intercession of the apostle Peter," he said.
-ABC News’ Phoebe Natanson
Apr 21, 2025, 1:33 PM EDT
Harris calls Pope Francis 'a visionary leader'
Former Vice President Kamala Harris in a statement called Pope Francis "a visionary leader who dedicated his life to service and justice."
"He encouraged us to protect our planet, championed a more inclusive church, and cared for all of God’s children -- especially the most vulnerable among us," Harris said. "Doug and I pray for His Holiness, and we join people around the world in mourning his loss."
Pope Francis delivers his "Urbi et Orbi" message from the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican April 16, 2017.
Vatican Media via Reuters
Apr 21, 2025, 1:11 PM EDT
Clintons remember Pope Francis' 'remarkable life and legacy'
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement they are mourning Pope Francis’ death as well as celebrating "his remarkable life and legacy: promoting peace, economic inclusion, and social justice; and fighting climate change, particularly its threat to the lives and livelihoods of the world’s poorest citizens."
Pope Francis meets with former President Bill Clinton during an audience at the Apostolic Palace, July 5, 2023 in Vatican City, Vatican.
Vatican Media/Getty Images
"I was blessed to have met with His Holiness," the statement said, "and Hillary and I were honored when he took part in the Clinton Global Initiative 2023 Annual Meeting, where he spoke about his children’s hospital helping young people injured in Ukraine and invited the CGI community to pitch in and help, which they have."
"In taking the name of St. Francis, he made it clear that he would endeavor to embrace the entire world, including those of other faiths, those whom the church hadn’t always welcomed, and anyone whose daily struggles reflected the enduring truth of our common humanity," the Clintons said. "By his own example, he taught that every human being’s personal search -- even a Pope's -- for a purposeful life was meaningful and important, and that power and politics must always make room for compassion and coexistence."
