Pope Francis left for the eternal Easter on Easter Monday

On Easter Monday, 21 April, at 7:35 am, Pope Francis (1936-2025) left for the eternal Easter. His last words were essentially an exhortation to ceasefire, peace and hope. Pope Francis died at the age of 88, after 12 years and 39 days as bishop.

His Eminence, Cardinal Farrell, sadly announced the death of Pope Francis, saying: ‘Dear brothers and sisters, it is with deep sadness that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His whole life was devoted to the service of the Lord and his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we entrust the soul of Pope Francis to the infinitely merciful love of the Triune God.’

Pope Francis’ last public words

‘Dear brothers and sisters, happy Easter. The Master of Ceremonies will read the message’. These were the last public words spoken by the convalescent Pope Francis on 20 April 2025, Easter Sunday, shortly after 12 noon Rome time, ‘his voice weakened but determined to say these few words to the faithful’. It was in the presence of 50,000 faithful who had gathered in St Peter’s Square at midday to see and hear the Holy Father in the central loggia of the basilica.

It was there that the Pope wished the whole world a ‘Happy Easter’. His Urbi et Orbi message was then read, as he wished, by Monsignor Diego Ravelli, Master of the Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations. In his message, the Holy Father declared: ‘I would like us to renew our hope that peace is possible! From the Holy Sepulchre, the Church of the Resurrection, where this year Easter is being celebrated by Catholics and Orthodox on the same day, may the light of peace radiate throughout the Holy Land and the entire world’.

Peace, Pope Francis’ final wish

Calling for a ceasefire, Pope Francis prayed for peace in the world, mentioning, among others, Palestine and Israel, Lebanon and Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan and South Sudan, and the Sahel and Great Lakes regions of Africa.

‘May the risen Christ, our hope, grant peace and consolation to the African peoples who are victims of violence and conflict, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Sudan and South Sudan. May he sustain those suffering from the tensions in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region, as well as those Christians who in many places are not able freely to profess their faith’, implored Pope Francis, who left us less than 24 hours later.

On February 18, 2025, Pope Francis’ clinical situation gradually worsened, and his doctors diagnosed bilateral pneumonia. After 38 days at Gemelli Hospital, the Pope returned to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta, to continue his recovery, where he passed away April 21, Monday of Easter.

Charles Ayetan