LIVE | Vatican after Pope Francis' death

Pope Francis, the 266th Bishop of Rome and Sovereign of the Vatican City, died on Easter Monday. He was 88.

The Vatican confirmed his death early Monday in an announcement read out by Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived.

"At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,″ Ferrell said.

How is a new pope chosen?

When the pope dies, the College of Cardinals gathers in a conclave, or secret meeting, to vote for a new pope. A candidate must get two-thirds of the vote to become pope.

Four rounds of balloting take place every day until a candidate receives the necessary number of votes. Read more about the process here.

JD Vance on Pope Francis' death: ‘May God rest his soul'

"I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him," Vance wrote.

"I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul."

Death of Pope Francis

What We Know:

Francis suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man. He was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.

He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy.

However, he emerged on Easter Sunday — a day before his death — to bless thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square and treated them to a surprise popemobile romp through the piazza, drawing wild cheers and applause.

Francis also met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Easter Sunday, who shared images of their meeting.

Bells tolled in church towers across Rome on Monday after the death announcement.

Pope Francis’ health

Francis has had several health ailments over the years. He had part of one lung removed as a young man and had chronic lung disease, making him prone to developing bronchitis in the winter.

His most recent hospitalization was his fourth since being named pope in 2013.

He had other health problems too: He had part of his large intestine removed in 2021, used a wheelchair, cane or walker because of bad knee ligaments and suffered from sciatica nerve pain.

Path to the papacy

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio entered this world on June Dec. 17, 1936. He was the oldest of the five children.

He was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1969 and served as Argentina’s provincial superior of the Society of Jesus between 1973 and 1979.

In 1998, he became archbishop of Buenos Aires. Pope Saint John Paul II made him a part of the College of Cardinals in 2001.

When John Paul II died in April 2005, Cardinal Bergoglio became one of the "papabile," a Latin term used to identify a papal candidate.

Ultimately, the College of Cardinals elected Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, who took the name Benedict XVI. Even so, Italian media reported Cardinal Bergoglio finished second on four of the ballots.

In 2013, Benedict XVI resigned the papacy. He became the first Bishop of Rome to resign since Gregory XII did so 598 years prior.

The church needed a new leader. And on the fifth ballot of the 2013 papal conclave, it got one.

Cardinal Bergoglio became the first pope elected from the Americas. He chose the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.

What's Next:

The next pope will be chosen during the papal conclave, which is the meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope. Following the death of a pope, his ring — the Ring of the Fisherman — is destroyed by the Cardinal Camerlengo.

Cardinals from across the globe travel to Rome for the funeral. Traditionally, the funeral takes place between four and six days after the death of the pope.

The remains of His Holiness lie in state for several days before being interred in a crypt. It is customary to observe nine days of mourning after the funeral.

Fifteen days after the pope’s death, a papal conclave convenes and the cardinals are locked inside of Sistine Chapel until a new pontiff has been elected by a two-thirds majority. Cardinals must be under 80 to cast their vote for a new pope.

Onlookers gather, sometimes days at a time, in St. Peter's Square and wait for signs that a new pope has been elected.

Since the 1800s, failed ballots have been marked by black smoke billowing from the chapel’s chimney. Once a new Vicar of Christ is chosen, white smoke will appear from the chimney.