Catholic Church: Welt mourns the loss of Pope Francis as the “man of peace”

The world mourns the loss of Pope Francis. The head of more than 1.4 billion Catholics died on Easter Monday in his residence in the Vatican at the age of 88 – just a few hours after the native Argentine had donated the blessing Urbi et orbi one last time. Francis, who had been in the hospital for 38 days in the spring due to life -threatening pneumonia, had already worked very weakly.

With a pontificate of twelve years, one month and a week, Francis is one of the popes that were formative for the Catholic Church. From all over the world and across the borders of religions, condolence letters were received. At the age of 88, the Jesuit was the second oldest Pope in history.

Last appeal in Easter message for peace and migrants

On St. Peter’s Square, where Jorge Mario Bergoglio – according to the bourgeois name – was still in the open papamobile 24 hours earlier, mourned thousands around him. In his Easter message, he had previously recruited peace and better handling of migrants. However, he had to read the message from another clergyman because he was too weak himself.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote that the world loses “a shining sign of hope, a credible lawyer of humanity and a convincing Christian”. In St. Peter’s Basilica, the bells ringed for the late Pope – as well as in many other churches worldwide, also in Germany.

Open coffin in St. Peter’s Basilica

The body is now expected to be laid out in an open coffin in St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday so that it can be said goodbye. State guests from all over the world are then expected to burial. The exact date for this is not yet clear. In contrast to the other popes of recent times, Francis will not find his last rest in St. Peter’s Basilica, but in the basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, a few kilometers further near the main station in Rome.

Conclave chooses new Pope

The formal process after the Pope’s death is determined. The body of Francis will be put in a coffin in the chapel of his last residence in the Vatican, the Casa Santa Marta. Previously, the cardinal treasurer Kevin Farrell will officially find death in a rite at 8:00 p.m., as the Vatican announced. In the coming days it will continue as follows:

The period until the choice of the new Pope, the conclave in the Sistine chapel, is referred to as the sedis vacancy. During this time, no important decisions may be made in the Vatican. The Cardinal College determines when and how the body must be transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica. There he is laid out so that believers can say goodbye to him. The mourning time, the Novendiale, takes nine days. The burial is usually four to six days after death. Francis is expected to find his last rest in the basilica Santa Maria Maggiore. At least 20 days after death, the cardinals from all over the world, which have not yet exceeded the age of 80, should appear to be a conclave. The conclave can be over after a few hours, but also weeks, months or even years: there is no time limit. The new Pope needs a two -thirds majority to choose from. White smoke means: there is a new Pope.

Argentina imposes seventh day mourning

“Francis will be remembered for his tireless commitment to the weakest of society, for justice and reconciliation,” said the designated Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the Pope had “inspired his modesty and sincerely love for the less happy millions. Supervisory letters also came from many other countries. In his homeland of Argentina, seven days of state is now. After his election to the Pope, he never returned there.

Francis has been in office since March 2013, as the first non -European for more than 1,200 years. He had been in health for a long time: in the summer of 2021 he had to be operated on at the intestine. In addition, he had a healing, which is why he mostly sat in a wheelchair on public dates. In the spring of 2023 he was treated in the hospital for severe pneumonia. A few weeks later, he was operated on the open stomach under general anesthesia.

Nevertheless, Franziskus regularly spoke up to church questions and also on world politics until the end. In autumn 2024 he ended one of his big projects: the world synod, a kind of global inventory of the Catholic Church, in which women were also involved for the first time. However, this did not result in concrete reforms. He was able to implement other projects such as a new constitution for the Vatican.

During his term, numerous scandals also fell for sexual abuse in various dioceses around the world. In response, the Pope used commissions to deal with and prevent. Francis was over a very popular Pope and a large reminder all year. He tried to focus on weak and outcasts through acts and speeches. He also campaigned for refugees.

Son of Italian immigrants

The son of Italian immigrants was born on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires and initially trained as a cheman technician. Then he entered an order of Jesuit. In 1969 he was ordained a priest, in 1992 to the bishop. In the mid -1980s, he lived in Germany for a few months to write on a doctoral thesis, which he did not finish. In 2001 John Paul II made him a cardinal.

At the 2005 Conclave, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires was still defeated against German Joseph Ratzinger. After his election eight years later, he jokingly presented himself as a Pope from the “end of the world”. With the choice of his name, the Jesuit stood in the tradition of Franz of Assisi. Francis occurred much more modestly than many predecessors and often refrained from splendid.

Unlike the rather reserved and conservative Benedict, Francis caused enthusiasm among the believers on many trips abroad. For some trade fairs, more than a million people came. Last autumn he was in the Pacific room again for twelve days. He focused modesty and humility into the focus of his preaching and action. He criticized indifference and also a tendency to want to accumulate even more money and influence at the expense of weaker.

Francis often appeared like a great reformer, but in the opinion of many, but remained behind the expectations. The celibacy, for example, can be abolished at some point, he said. Ultimately, however, he did not change anything. Francis underlined the role of women in the church in countless speeches – but he refused to ordinate the priest. Under Francis, the Vatican has also slowed down reforms of the German bishops.

Criticism of conservative cardinals

Some conservative church superiors criticized Francis’ pontificate. Especially because of the health problems, it has also been speculated on resignation for years, based on the model of his German predecessor. The Argentinian didn’t want to know anything about such speculation.

It will now be exciting in which direction the next Pope will steer the Catholic Church. It is quite possible that Francis’ theological and social ideas will be pursued: of the more than 130 cardinals voting in the complain, he chose significantly more than half personally.

Deputy Christ on earth

According to Catholic theory of faith, the Pope is the successor to the apostle Peter and deputy of Jesus Christ on earth. The official title is: “Bishop of Rome, governor of Jesus Christ, successor of the Apostle Prince, head of the entire church, patriarch of the West, Primas of Italy, archbishop and metropolitan of the church province of Rome, confidently of the state of the Vatican City, servant of the servant of God”.