The Vatican bids farewell to Pope Francis

Death of Pope Francis

 The Vatican bids farewell to Pope Francis

The Vatican announced in a video statement on Monday the death of Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church, bringing an end to a turbulent era marked by division and tension as he sought to reform the church.

Pope Francis was 88 years old and had suffered from various ailments during his 12-year papacy, according to Reuters. The media described the Pope's health as critical over the past two months. He was admitted to the hospital in February after experiencing difficulty breathing and was later diagnosed with pneumonia.

"Silencing the Guns"

Pope Francis has been known for his provocative statements in recent years and has repeatedly called for "silencing the guns" and "overcoming divisions," referring to various tensions and conflicts around the world.

Last year, he denounced the "very serious humanitarian situation" in the Gaza Strip and called for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages. Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken about at least 18 countries, from Burma to Haiti, Mali, Venezuela, and Cyprus, specifically referring to the Middle East, during his various sermons.

The Importance of Peace

Just yesterday, in his Easter message, he emphasized the importance of peace, calling for an end to armed conflicts in several regions, most notably Gaza and Ukraine.

Pope Francis, who was born 88 years ago in Argentina, announced in 2023 that he wished to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, breaking with a tradition practiced by more than 100 popes, each of whom chose to have their final resting place inside the Grotte Vaticane, or the "Vatican catacombs," extending beneath the nave of St. Peter's Basilica, with three-tiered stone coffins. However, Francis chose a coffin made of zinc and wood for his embalmed body.

No major decisions are made while the Vatican is without a pope until a successor is elected. This is done by a meeting of the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican for a "conclave," where they are confined to vote. If no candidate receives a two-thirds majority, another vote is held. The process of writing names on blank sheets of paper is repeated up to four times a day until 120 of them have voted for a new successor. The process can take weeks, and in rare cases, months.

Two years to choose a pope

When the votes are counted, they are burned in a special burner, producing black smoke when no pope is elected, and white smoke when one is chosen. The successor then delivers a public address from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and serves until his death, amid a tradition that prevents him from resigning. His predecessor, Benedict XVI, resigned in 2013 due to severe and embarrassing health problems.

The most famous delay in electing a successor was when the French Pope Guy Vaulx-le-Gros died. The cardinals met in 1268 to elect a successor. They argued for two years, and people could only see black smoke coming out of the Vatican chimney instead of white smoke, a sign that a new pontiff had been chosen.

 Then they became fed up and demonstrated, forcing the cardinals to a roofless location in the Vatican, in a cold winter. They were given water and bread, with a terrifying threat: “You will not leave here unless you have a Pope with you.” Three days later, white smoke came out of the chimney, with the election of the Frenchman Teobald Visconti.