The bells of St. Peter’s Basilica tolled to mark the end of the funeral Mass in Vatican City, where mourners joined in a final send-off for a pontiff celebrated as a champion of the poor.

Pope Francis, the 266th and current pope of the Catholic Church, passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. He died in his residence at Domus Sanctae Marthae in Vatican City, following complications from a cerebral stroke and cardiac arrest.