Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church, died on Monday, April 21. He was 88 years old, and his career was filled with support for the historically disenfranchised members of the Catholic church. He died of a cerebral stroke. The stroke left him in a coma, and he perished shortly after. His death wasn’t unexpected, as Pope Francis had recently been hospitalized for pneumonia and had a lung surgically removed earlier in his life, but many felt his time was not yet due. Catholics around the world are mourning the loss of this Pope.

Pope Francis was the first Pope of Latin American background, and was the first pope to hail from the southern hemisphere. His publicly professed views supported migrants, members of the LGBTQ community, and Palestinians. The process of selecting a new Pope is a lengthy one, with the rites starting immediately after the death. First, a chamberlin  the death and announces a sede vacante. In the following days, the funerary procession commences, and the global papal conclave meets to deliberate at the Vatican; Church cardinals then cast votes for the next Pope.

Article by Emmet Coughlan