Pope Francis, 88, died on Easter Monday of a stroke and cardiac arrest, based on an announcement from the Vatican.
Fox Information’ Alex Hogan confirmed in an on-air report that the Pope had a stroke within the early morning of April 21, went right into a coma after which had a coronary heart assault.
The Pope’s demise follows years of ongoing well being considerations, together with a current hospitalization for double pneumonia.
POPE FRANCIS DEAD AT 88 YEARS OLD
The official demise announcement was made on the Pope’s residence within the Chapel of St. Martha on Monday.
A trustworthy holds a portrait of late Pope Francis on the Basílica de San José de Flores, the place he worshiped as a youth, following the Vatican’s announcement of his demise in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on April 21, 2025. (Gustavo Garello/AP)
Pope Francis served for 12 years and advocated for causes together with migrant rights, local weather change and LGBTQ inclusion, Hogan reported.
The day earlier than his demise, the Pope met with Vice President JD Vance in Vatican Metropolis.
POPE FRANCIS’ DEATH AFTER RESPIRATORY ILLNESS: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BILATERAL PNEUMONIA
Whereas the Pope’s current bout with pneumonia had sparked considerations about his well being, the stroke event that led to his demise got here as a shock amongst his faithfuls, based on experiences.
Strokes are the fifth main reason behind demise in the USA and a major reason behind incapacity, per the American Stroke Affiliation.

Pope Francis is pictured in Luxembourg on Sept. 26, 2024. Whereas the Pope’s current bout with pneumonia had sparked considerations about his well being, the stroke occasion that led to his demise got here as a shock amongst his faithfuls. (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP/Getty)
“Stroke is damage to the mind from impairment of blood circulate,” Dr. Sandeep Kumar, a neurologist on the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Heart in Boston, Massachusetts, beforehand informed Fox Information Digital.
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“A traditional blood provide is significant for the mind to perform usually and for the preservation of its construction. Interruption of the blood circulate deprives the affected parts of the brain from receiving oxygen and different vitamins, with the consequence that these tissues begin disintegrating quickly.”
Whereas there are two predominant forms of strokes, ischemic and hemorrhagic, ischemic strokes are the commonest, accounting for 87% of all circumstances, based on the affiliation.
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“Blood circulate to the mind will be compromised when … a cerebral artery is blocked off both by a blood clot or a plaque,” Kumar stated. “That is known as an ischemic stroke.”

Strokes are the fifth main reason behind demise in the USA, based on the American Stroke Affiliation. (iStock)
Within the case of a hemorrhagic stroke, the blood vessel supplying the mind ruptures, resulting in bleeding throughout the mind tissue, based on Kumar.
“Bleeding can immediately injury mind cells or deprive the encircling tissues of receiving satisfactory oxygen and vitamins,” he added.
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Fox Information Digital’s Ashlyn Messier contributed to this report.