Thousands of mourners have tonight gathered for a Rosary prayer vigil in front of St Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican, to commemorate the life of Pope Francis, who today died at the age of 88.
Cardinal Mauro Gambetti led the event as part of the ceremonies and prayers following the ‘peaceful’ death of the Pope at the Saint Martha residence in the Vatican today.
The cardinal opened the service by saying: ‘We all have in our hearts the words Pope Francis addressed to us, “Do not forget to pray for me”.
‘We know that death is not a door that closes, but rather a gateway to the heavenly Jerusalem.’
The Rosary is a prayer ritual that will precede the Pope’s transfer to St. Peter’s Basilica so that the faithful can bid farewell before his burial and is expected to continue each evening until his funeral.
The atmosphere was solemn and several people were in tears as the prayers were recited and as the event ended after 34 minutes a ripple applause broke out.
Over in London’s Westminster Cathedral, more than a thousand mourners gathered this evening to mourn Pope Francis, after he died today at age 88.
The pews inside the Cathedral, which is the largest Catholic Church in the UK, were packed with many people, both young and old, as the first of three masses to honour the pontiff began.
People pray as they attend a solemn requiem at Westminster Cathedral in central London on April 21, 2025
A worshipper prays as he attends a solemn requiem at Westminster Cathedral in central London on April 21, 2025
The Vatican tonight revealed that the Pope suffered a cerebral stroke, which led to a coma and irreversible heart failure
Throughout the day there had been a steady stream of grievers from all different denominations of the Christian church and religions arriving to light candles or participate in silent prayer.
White and yellow flowers have been placed at the entrance to the building alongside a huge picture of the leader of the church, who according to Italian media, died from a cerebral haemorrhage.
Leading the service, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who earlier praised Pope Francis as a ‘voice proclaiming the innate dignity of every human being’, said during his Homily: ‘This is a day of sadness as people everywhere learn of the death of His Holiness Pope Francis.’
‘Today a voice has fallen silent, a voice heard in every corner of the world: a voice of warm encouragement and sharp challenge, expressing both love of God and a love of our shared humanity.’
‘Pope Francis had a single focus in life: to strive to do the will of God, as it was given to him in the Catholic Church, recognising the summons to holiness that touches every human heart,’ Cardinal Nichols, who was accompanied by dozens of other clergy members, added.
The Cardinal acknowledged the thousands of tributes that had been paid to the Pope including from King Charles and Queen Camilla who with ‘heavy hearts’ and paid tribute to his compassion and ‘tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith.’
In his last testament, Pope Francis asked that the ‘suffering that has marked the final part of my life [leads to] peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples’.
He also asked to be buried in a ‘niche of the side nave between the Cappella Paolina (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Cappella Sforza of the aforementioned Papal Basilica.’
‘The tomb must be in the earth; simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus,’ the testament also read.
The leader of the Catholic Church for England and Wales earlier reflected on his own ‘shock’ upon hearing of the death of the Pope while driving down the M1 this morning.
He told a press conference: ‘I was utterly surprised. I was driving up the M1, and one of you or one of your agencies rang me and said, “The Pope had died” and I said “you’re joking” because I really did not expect, after yesterday, his death today.’
Nuns and the Faithful attend a Rosary Prayer for the late Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square, on April 21, 2025 in Vatican City
Pope Francis (pictured) today died at the age of 88
A believer prays as she attends a vigil in Notre-Dame Cathedral to honour Pope Francis following his death, in Paris on April 21, 2025
A devotee puts a candle beside the portrait of late Pope Francis during a vigil at the Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Cathedral Church in Multan on April 21, 2025
The Vatican announced that Pope Francis, 88, died on Monday at 07:35 local time
His death comes after he appeared in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, greeting thousands of worshippers
The pews inside the Cathedral, which is the largest Catholic Church in the UK, were packed with many people, both young and old
Christians hold candles beside the portrait of late Pope Francis during a vigil at the Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Cathedral Church in Multan on April 21, 2025
Similarly, many members of the congregation were left shocked by the passing of the Pope after seeing him just yesterday delivering his Easter Sunday address from the Vatican.
The Vatican tonight revealed that the Pope suffered a cerebral stroke, which led to a coma and irreversible heart failure.
Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State, issued the official certification, said that the Pope had a prior history of acute respiratory failure caused by multimicrobial bilateral pneumonia, multiple bronchiectases, high blood pressure, and Type II diabetes.
His death was confirmed through electrocardiographic thanatography.
He reportedly woke up when his alarm went off at 6am, fell ill at 7am and died from a stroke at 7.35am, according to Corriere della Serra.
The death of the Argentine pontiff, leader of the Catholic Church since March 2013, came less than a month after having been released from hospital following a 38-day battle with double pneumonia.
In a final act of devotion, Pope Francis had greeted worshippers in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday in what turned out to be his last public appearance before his death.
Surprisingly, the Pope was not wearing a nasal cannula hooked up to oxygen when he was driven through the crowd of 35,000 faithful yesterday, having worn it for many of his appearances since he was discharged.
For about 50 minutes, the pontiff’s vehicle slowly moved through the masses in 21C heat, in spite of doctors’ orders that the pope rest and cut buck his schedule at the very least. But the pontiff was determined to continue doing God’s work.
Christian faithful of the Legio Maria African Mission, attend the Easter vigil Mass in the informal settlement of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, Saturday, April 19, 2025
Throughout the day there had been a steady stream of grievers from all different denominations of the Christian church and religions arriving to light candles or participate in silent prayer
Faithful attend a Rosary in homage to Pope Francis following his death in Saint Peter’s Square, on April 21, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican
A woman prays during a vigil for the late Pope Francis in Dili, East Timor, Monday, April 21, 2025
Earlier, he had appeared on the Vatican balcony and told crowds, ‘Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter’, before an aide read the rest of his annual Urbi et Orbi blessing and speech, which called for an end to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
The Holy See’s press service announced only the Pontiff’s death shortly after he passed away, writing in tribute that he had dedicated his ‘entire life’ to serving God and the church.
His body will now lie in state in St Peter’s Basilica for three days, and then he will be buried in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. His body could lie in state as soon as Wednesday, according to Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office.
