Vatican Confirms Pope Francis Dies at 88 Following Heart Failure and Stroke

"Irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse"—medical jargon
meaning a heart that just gave up and could not be restarted—followed a cerebral stroke, according to Vatican health official Dr. Andrea Arcangeli. The Pope apparently went into a coma after the stroke and never came out of it.

As word of his death spread, St. Peter's Square was silently crowded with devoted pilgrims. Under the Roman sun, many people came to pray the rosary, their voices low and sorrowful. The air was heavy with the silence of a civilization acclimating to the loss of a spiritual titan, rather than the loud grieving of an unexpected death.

Pope Francis had been battling a series of severe health
issues for a long time, even though his last days were mostly spent out of the spotlight. According to Dr. Arcangeli, the Pope had chronic respiratory insufficiency, which was probably a result of the bilateral pneumonia he had earlier in life. In addition, he had high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, which had gradually reduced the extent of his vitality.

The Pope's passing signifies the end of a pontificate characterized
by environmental campaigning, profound empathy, and a determination to move the Catholic Church closer to the periphery both spiritually and geographically. His pontificate was one of sensitivity, which was frequently awkward in its candor. He appealed for humility in a Church that frequently forgets its own poverty, condemned abuse by clerics, and supported refugees.

Today, in the quiet shadow of his death, the world honors a man who led with presence rather than fanfare and who never shied away from showing vulnerability.

Details regarding the burial and the official preparations for the next papal conclave are anticipated to be made public by the Vatican in the days ahead.

For now, the bells of St. Peter's toll not only for a leader but also for a man who lived his life to the end because he thought compassion might be a form of courage.