Vatican City, April 22 – The Vatican has officially confirmed that Pope Francis, who passed away yesterday at the age of 88, died from a stroke followed by irreversible heart failure.
In a detailed statement released Tuesday, Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State, certified the cause of death as “a stroke and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.” According to the medical report, the Pope had several pre-existing health conditions, including high blood pressure, Type II diabetes, multimicrobial bilateral pneumonia, and multiple bronchiectases, which may have contributed to the severity of the stroke and heart failure.
“His death was confirmed through electrocardiographic thanatography,” Dr. Arcangeli stated. “To the best of my knowledge and judgment, these are the causes of death.”
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, served as the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and was known for his progressive approach to Church leadership, championing social justice, climate action, and outreach to marginalized communities. His passing marked the end of a transformative papacy that left a lasting impact both within the Catholic Church and across the global community.
Unlike his predecessors, Francis chose to reside in the humble guesthouse of Saint Martha within the Vatican instead of the Apostolic Palace. His body is now lying in a coffin inside a chapel in his residence, where Vatican staff and visiting clergy are paying their final respects.
The Church will now initiate the traditional process of electing a new pope. Cardinals from across the world are expected to gather in Rome for a conclave. While Church law dictates a 15-day mourning period before the conclave begins, changes made by Pope Benedict XVI allow the process to start sooner, if necessary.
