Following the death of Pope Francis early Monday morning, the Vatican has revealed that the Catholic Church’s head died from a stroke and heart failure.
According to the Associated Press, the Vatican said that Pope Francis suffered a cerebral stroke that placed him in a coma, leading to irreversible heart failure. Francis died at 7:35 am on Monday.
The details were noted in a death certificate released by the Vatican, per ABC News. The death certificate said that Pope Francis was also affected by "previous episode of acute respiratory failure in bilateral multimicrobial pneumonia, multiple bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension and type II diabetes."
Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said in a statement following the pope's passing, "At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and the marginalized."
After spending 38 days in the hospital due to a respiratory crisis, Pope Francis was released in late March. One of the last international leaders to meet with the Pope was US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, who told the leader, "I know you have not been feeling great but it’s good to see you in better health."
“I pray for you every day,” Vance also told Francis. “God bless you.”
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