He was still doing well at 6 o'clock This is how Pope Francis' last hours passed
Pope Francis is dead. The 88-year-old pontiff died of a stroke with cardiovascular failure - just one hour after he had felt well. Mourning reigns in the Vatican and around the globe.
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- Pope Francis died of a stroke with cardiovascular failure on Monday morning at the age of 88.
- When he got up at 6 a.m., he was still doing well.
- Despite previous hospital stays due to pneumonia, he attended appointments in a weakened state until the end.
Pope Francis died on Monday morning at the age of 88 from a stroke and subsequent irreversible cardiovascular failure. This is according to the death certificate issued by the head of the Vatican health services, Professor Andrea Arcangeli.
Francis got up at six o'clock in the morning - he is said to have felt well at the time, as the Italian daily newspaper "Corriere della Sera" reports. But only around an hour later, the head of the Catholic Church complained of feeling unwell.
He lost consciousness at 7.35 a.m. and died shortly afterwards.
In hospital for weeks
For many in the Vatican, however, the death was not entirely unexpected: The Pope had already spent 38 days in hospital in the spring. The reason was severe bilateral pneumonia, from which he never fully recovered. Despite this, he attended a number of appointments right up to the end, even though he appeared significantly weakened.
The news of his death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell. That evening, thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti led a public prayer of the rosary for the deceased Pope.
For over a decade, Francis was the spiritual leader of around 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, Bishop of Rome and head of state of the Vatican state. The Vatican is now preparing for the funeral ceremonies and the upcoming conclave to elect a successor. The funeral will take place next Saturday.
