With the words that Pope Francis “returned to the home of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced the passing of the first Latin American pontiff.
“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,″ Cardinal Farrell continued.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised.
“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.″
Pope Francis, who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died early Monday morning at the age of 88. The news of his passing stirred emotions throughout the Catholic world.
He experienced ill health in recent months, suffering a respiratory infection and chronic bronchitis which later developed into pneumonia. In February, he was admitted to Gemelli Hospital where he had spent 38 days, the longest during his 12 years of papacy.
What left many stunned was the net worth of Pope Francis, revealed following his passing.
Reports suggest that he was worthy nearly $16 million at the time of his death despite not receiving salary since 2013, when introduced as the 266th pope.
Being a pope, Francis could choose to live in the Papal Palace, just like many of his predecessors, but instead, he chose a more modest accommodation, a smaller two-room suite within the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse.
Also, he was taking his meals in the communal dining room.
Pope Francis vowed to lead a simple life on the day of his election, and he honored that vow until the very end.
According to the Economic Times, the Catholic leader’s wealth accumulated from “royalties, donations, and access to a discretionary fund of $385,000 per year as head of the Roman Catholic Church.”
Pope Francis’ last public appearance was on Easter Sunday, just a day before his passing.
He blessed thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square. Before that, he met with US Vice President JD Vance.
Vance was among those who paid their tributes.
“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,” Vance posted on the social media.
“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful.”
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