Pope Francis died of a stroke and subsequent irreversible heart failure.
This is stated in a Vatican statement.
The Director of the Health and Hygiene Department of the Vatican City State, Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, has published the official medical report on the death of Pope Francis, which was confirmed using electrocardiographic thanatography.
The Pope previously had serious breathing problems due to bilateral pneumonia caused by several different infections. He also had bronchial dilation, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
- The Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis on April 21. He died at the age of 88 after a long illness — he was in the hospital from February 14 to March 23. The pontiff had developed bilateral pneumonia. His condition was serious.
- For the first time in more than 100 years, a pope will be buried outside the Vatican. Francis will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, across the Tiber River from Rome. He announced his wish in December 2023, saying he felt a "very strong connection" with the basilica, which he visited on Sunday morning to pay homage to the Virgin Mary.
- The BBC notes that the funeral is usually scheduled to take place within 4-6 days of a popeʼs death. The vote for the new pontiff will take place between 15 and 20 days after Francisʼ death.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine please follow us on X.