June 07, 2026
He makes the call while meeting the Christian community leaders on Christmas Eve
The body of the 88-year-old pope is held aloft on a wooden platform by 14 white-gloved, black-suited pallbearers
The pontiff was keeping well for at least an hour after he woke up on Monday, according to Vatican sources, but died around half an hour after falling ill
Pope Francis, who championed the poor and clashed with traditionalists, died unexpectedly after stroke and cardiac arrest