Sede Vacante: Pope Francis Dies at 88, Leaving the Sacred Chair of St. Peter Empty

The supreme leader of the Catholic Church and the Bishop of Rome died on Monday, April 21,   after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest.

He was 88, and had suffered double pneumonia this year, but his death came as a to many, especially after his appearance on Sunday at St. Peter's Square,  in an open-air popemobile to greet cheering crowds on Easter Sunday.

The Vatican seat will remain empty until a new pope is elected: a period known as Sede Vacante.

(The Declaration of the Death of His Holiness )

Transfer of Pope Francis’s Remains to St. Peter’s Basilica Set for April 23Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, confirmed that the remains of Pope Francis may be transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica on the morning of Wednesday, April 23, 2025, to allow the faithful an opportunity to pray for and pay their respects to him.

The transfer of the Pontiff’s remains to the Basilica of the Vatican, so that they may be seen and honored by the faithful, is expected to take place on the morning of Wednesday, April 23, 2025, according to decisions and announcements to be made after the first Congregation of Cardinals,” Bruni told reporters in a Vatican News report.

It is recalled that Pope Francis was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital on February 14, 2025, after several days of battling bronchitis. The following week, on February 18, doctors confirmed that he had developed bilateral pneumonia.

After 38 days in hospital, the late Pope returned to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta to continue his recovery.

In 1957, in his early 20s, Jorge Mario Bergoglio now known as  Pope Francis underwent surgery in his native Argentina to remove a portion of his lung that had been affected by a severe respiratory infection.

As he aged, Pope Francis frequently suffered bouts of respiratory illnesses, even cancelling a planned visit to the United Arab Emirates in November 2023 due to influenza and lung inflammation.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr Joins Catholics in mourning for Pope Francis

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. joins the Catholic community worldwide in grieving the loss of His Holiness, Pope Francis.

The Chief Executive says the Bishop of Rome, dubbed as the People's Pope, led by example.

"A man of profound faith and humility, Pope Francis led not only with wisdom but with a heart open to all, especially the poor and the forgotten.

By example, Pope Francis taught us that to be a good Christian is to extend kindness and care to one another. His humility brought many back to the fold of the Church.

As we mourn his passing, we honor a life that brought hope and compassion to so many, and inspired us to love one another as Christ loved us.

It is a profoundly sad day," Marcos wrote on Monday evening, Manila time.

Catholic Churches in the Philippines Call for Prayers after Passing of Pope Francis

Philippine cathedrals and parishes made calls for prayers for the passing of Pope Francis following the announcement made by the Vatican on Monday afternoon.

The Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno - St. John the Baptist Parish of the Archdiocese of Manila or Quiapo Church asked the faithful to pray for the Holy Father.

"V /. Oremus pro Beatíssimo Papa nostro FRANCISCO."

"R /. Dóminus conservet eum, et vivíficet eum, et beatum fáciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in ánimam inimicorum eius," Quiapo church wrote on social media.

The Vatican's announcement has been shared on the social media accounts of the Manila Cathedral and the Christ the King Parish, as well as by other churches.

Meanwhile, the news of the Pope's passing has also been shared online by His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for the Evangelisation and the Pope's Special Envoy to the National Eucharistic Congress in the United States of America.

The Pope visited the Philippines on January 15-19, 2015 for a five-day visit, and has celebrated an outdoor mass in front of an unprecedented crowd of six million in the Philippine capital Manila.

The huge crowd attended the ceremony and lined the Papal route to Rizal Park, a record for a papal event.

He was the third pope to visit the Philippines after Pope Paul VI in November 1970 and Pope John Paul II in 1981 and 1995.

The Manila Cathedral Tolls Bells in Memory of Pope Francis

The Manila Cathedral tolled its Bells for thirteen minutes on Monday, in remembrance of Pope Francis’ thirteen years of Petrine Ministry. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines President and Kalookan Bishop Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David urged churches to ring their bells after the passing of the Bishop of Rome, Francesco. The Catholic faithful were also urged to offer prayers for the eternal repose of Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who returned to the Lord's embrace.