The first anniversary of Pope Francis’s death is being marked today with a rosary and mass at Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where the late pontiff was laid to rest.
Pope Francis died on 21 April 2025 – one day after Easter Sunday – at the age of 88, following a period of treatment at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli hospital for a respiratory infection. His final public appearance came on Easter Sunday, when he delivered the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing and offered his last words to the world: “Happy Easter.”
The Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced his death at 7:35am the following day. An estimated 250,000 people paid their respects, and his funeral took place five days later.
According to Vatican News, the anniversary commemorations will begin at 5pm local time with the rosary in the Pauline Chapel – a place the late Pope visited frequently. A bronze commemorative plaque will then be unveiled, bearing a 160-character Latin inscription honouring Pope Francis’s special bond with the Marian icon Salus Populi Romani. The inscription notes that he prayed before the icon on 126 occasions.
A mass will be celebrated at 6pm, during which a message from Pope Leo XIV – currently on an apostolic journey in Africa – will be read. The service will be shown on a large screen in Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore and broadcast on Vatican News.
A 26-minute documentary, featuring archive footage and symbolic sequences, will also be released, highlighting the pontificate of the “Pope of mercy” and the “Pope of the peripheries”.
Thirteen-year pontificate
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, he was elected as the 266th Pope on 13 March 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
During his 13-year pontificate, he presided over two Jubilees: the Jubilee of Mercy (2015-2016), emphasising forgiveness and compassion, and the Jubilee of Hope (2025), which was concluded by his successor. He also called for the Synod on Synodality in 2021, promoting greater dialogue and participation within the Church.
He authored four encyclicals, six apostolic exhortations, three apostolic constitutions and more than 50 motu proprios – over 100 official documents in total.
Source: Newsbook.com.mt
Article written by Jurgen Balzan
