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Rabat – The Vatican announced this morning the passing of Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He died at the age of 88 at his residence in the Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City, Rome.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said on the Vatican’s TV channel. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” he added.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1936, the late pope led the Catholic Church for 12 years, beginning in 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. His papacy was defined by a strong commitment to social justice, inclusivity, and advocacy for the marginalized.
In 2019, at the invitation of King Mohammed VI, Pope Francis visited Morocco in a historic trip coinciding with the 800th anniversary of the meeting between St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil. The encounter marked the beginning of dialogue and peaceful relations between Catholicism and Islam, as well as 800 years of Franciscan presence in Morocco.
During his visit, Pope Francis held mass for Morocco’s small Roman Catholic community and met with migrants at a Catholic humanitarian center. In a speech, he emphasized that “the issue of migration will never be resolved by raising barriers.”
King Mohammed VI, in his remarks during the visit, stated: “As Commander of the Faithful, and just like Your Holiness, I am against all forms of indifference. I salute the courage of leaders who confront the defining challenges of our time.”
He further praised the pope’s work saying “I have been following with interest and appreciation Your Holiness’s efforts to serve peace, your calls for education and dialogue, your advocacy against violence, poverty, and corruption, and your fight against climate change — the ills plaguing our societies.”
Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, a day that holds deep spiritual meaning for Catholics as it follows Easter Sunday, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his crucifixion.
Earlier this year, he spent 38 days in the hospital due to bilateral pneumonia, has been outspoken about Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and repeatedly called for a ceasefire. In a brief Easter appearance in the Vatican just yesterday, he renewed his calls for a ceasefire in Gaza expressing his “closeness to the sufferings.”
“My thoughts are with the people of Gaza, especially the Christian community, as the devastating conflict continues to bring death, destruction, and a deeply tragic humanitarian crisis,” said Francis, who had frequently made nightly calls to Gaza’s only Catholic parish in the months leading up to his death.
“Love has triumphed over hatred, light over darkness, and truth over falsehood. Forgiveness has triumphed over revenge,” he added. “Evil has not disappeared from history — it will remain until the end — but it no longer has the upper hand; it no longer holds power over those who embrace the grace of this day.”
