Margarita Stancati

So the Vatican at around 10 a.m. local time announced that Pope Francis had died. They released a very short note in which they just said that the Pope had died at 7.35 this morning in Rome in his apartment in the Vatican. The Pope had been very sick recently. He had been hospitalized for about a month. and returned home in mid-March.

So the Vatican at around 10 a.m. local time announced that Pope Francis had died. They released a very short note in which they just said that the Pope had died at 7.35 this morning in Rome in his apartment in the Vatican. The Pope had been very sick recently. He had been hospitalized for about a month. and returned home in mid-March.

Now, he nearly died twice when he was in hospital with a severe respiratory illness. His health had improved, but he was still looking very, very frail. And he was still receiving medical treatment and was not well enough, for example, to lead the traditional Easter Sunday Mass yesterday. That is also when we last saw him.

Now, he nearly died twice when he was in hospital with a severe respiratory illness. His health had improved, but he was still looking very, very frail. And he was still receiving medical treatment and was not well enough, for example, to lead the traditional Easter Sunday Mass yesterday. That is also when we last saw him.

Although he couldn't lead the Mass himself, he appeared on the balcony at St. Peter's Square, blessed the crowd and wished everybody a happy Easter. He also came down into the square on his Popemobile, waving at the crowd, and that's the last time we saw him in public.

Although he couldn't lead the Mass himself, he appeared on the balcony at St. Peter's Square, blessed the crowd and wished everybody a happy Easter. He also came down into the square on his Popemobile, waving at the crowd, and that's the last time we saw him in public.

So after the Pope dies, there will be a process called the Conclave, which will be held in the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel. And that's where all the cardinals under the age of 80 select a new pope. And that's a process that can take a long time. It will take some time for the Catholic faithful to process the news of Pope Francis. He was a very beloved pope across the world.

So after the Pope dies, there will be a process called the Conclave, which will be held in the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel. And that's where all the cardinals under the age of 80 select a new pope. And that's a process that can take a long time. It will take some time for the Catholic faithful to process the news of Pope Francis. He was a very beloved pope across the world.

So there will be a few days of mourning. And there's a lot of pilgrims in Rome right now. It's currently the Jubilee. So I think we'll see large crowds gathering in St. Peter's Square tomorrow. as people kind of process this news.

So there will be a few days of mourning. And there's a lot of pilgrims in Rome right now. It's currently the Jubilee. So I think we'll see large crowds gathering in St. Peter's Square tomorrow. as people kind of process this news.

Absolutely. Pope Francis was the first Latin American pope, and he made a point of always speaking up for the poor, the vulnerable, the migrants, and weighed in on current affairs the whole time. Just yesterday in his Easter speech, which was read out by an aide, he spoke about the need to end wars in Ukraine, in Gaza, in Sudan and elsewhere.

Absolutely. Pope Francis was the first Latin American pope, and he made a point of always speaking up for the poor, the vulnerable, the migrants, and weighed in on current affairs the whole time. Just yesterday in his Easter speech, which was read out by an aide, he spoke about the need to end wars in Ukraine, in Gaza, in Sudan and elsewhere.

So his message was always against wars and he spoke up in favor of the poor and migrants. And that's something that actually caused some tensions with the Trump administration. He had been very critical of the Trump administration's anti-immigration policy and specifically of the kind of large scale deportations. And that's something he also mentioned in his speech yesterday.

So his message was always against wars and he spoke up in favor of the poor and migrants. And that's something that actually caused some tensions with the Trump administration. He had been very critical of the Trump administration's anti-immigration policy and specifically of the kind of large scale deportations. And that's something he also mentioned in his speech yesterday.

He spoke in defense of migrants and criticized the contempt that is often directed towards them.

He spoke in defense of migrants and criticized the contempt that is often directed towards them.

Every pontiff makes his own mark on the papacy. But for sure, the last few popes have been quite active in current affairs. So I don't think that's going to change. Pope Francis was seen as a relatively progressive pope. He was relatively liberal for a pope. And there are currents that have opposed this from their point of view, the success of liberalism.

Every pontiff makes his own mark on the papacy. But for sure, the last few popes have been quite active in current affairs. So I don't think that's going to change. Pope Francis was seen as a relatively progressive pope. He was relatively liberal for a pope. And there are currents that have opposed this from their point of view, the success of liberalism.

It's too early to say who's going to follow Pope Francis. But he has appointed most of the cardinals who will then have to decide who will follow him. So his legacy is not going to die with him.

It's too early to say who's going to follow Pope Francis. But he has appointed most of the cardinals who will then have to decide who will follow him. So his legacy is not going to die with him.