News Today: Vatican confirms Pope Francis’s cause of death

In a deeply mournful announcement, the Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis died due to a cerebral stroke and heart failure, according to his official death certificate released by Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli.

The 88-year-old pontiff passed away at 7:35 a.m. (05:35 GMT) in his residence at Santa Marta within the Vatican. The document states the cause of death as “cerebral stroke, coma, irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.”

This marks a historic moment, as Pope Francis was the first Latin American Pontiff in the Roman Catholic Church’s long history.

Just a day before his death, the beloved pope made what would be his final public appearance, greeting thousands of Easter worshippers from an open-top popemobile in St. Peter’s Square. Although visibly frail, he delivered a blessing through an aide, exemplifying his enduring commitment to his faith and followers.

The Pope’s health had been in decline over recent years, worsened by a serious case of double pneumonia, which required a 38-day hospitalization at Rome’s Gemelli University Hospital earlier this year. Previously undisclosed ailments were revealed in his death certificate, including arterial hypertension, multiple bronchiectasis, and type 2 diabetes.

In a spiritual testament dated June 29, 2022, Pope Francis expressed his wish to be buried at Rome’s Basilica of St Mary Major, diverging from the tradition of interment at St Peter’s Basilica, followed by many of his predecessors.

“As I sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life, and with firm hope in eternal life, I wish to set out my final wishes solely regarding the place of my burial,” the Pope wrote.

He humbly requested to be buried in the ground, without particular decoration, with only the inscription of his papal name in Latin: Franciscus.