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Pope Francis Cause of Death: Doctors Say Late Pontiff Suffered Stroke at 88 After Deteriorating Health
Doctors who treated Pope Francis for double pneumonia have revealed the cause of the Pontiff's demise. In a statement, they revealed that the Head of the Catholic Church suffered a stroke.
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to an individual's death.
Pope Francis has passed away weeks after getting discharged from a hospital following his long battle with double pneumonia, among other health issues. The news of his demise comes a day after he made a brief public appearance on Easter Sunday in St. Peter's Square.
While an official cause of death was not immediately announced by the Vatican officials, some doctors who recently treated Pope Francis have issued a statement, which reveals that he most likely suffered a stroke.
In a statement to the Italian news outlet La Repubblica, they said, "He had suffered a brain problem, most likely a stroke."
The late head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State had a long history of health problems. At the age of 21, he developed pleurisy and had part of one of his lungs removed in Argentina. Since the start of 2023, he has suffered repeated influenza.
In June 2023, he underwent surgery to repair an abdominal hernia. He has also long suffered from sciatica, a chronic nerve condition that causes back, hip, and leg pain.
In February this year, he was hospitalized at Rome's Gemelli Hospital due to a respiratory tract infection, which developed into pneumonia in both lungs. After over a month of treatments and observation, Pope Francis was discharged and sent to his Vatican home for recovery.
Pope Francis' death was confirmed earlier today by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican's camerlengo. In a statement, he revealed that Pope Francis died at 07:35 local time on Easter Monday morning. Soon after, condolences and messages of grief poured in from all corners of the world.
Farrell further said, "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 fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized."
The College of Cardinals will soon choose the next pope. According to reports, potential successors to Pope Francis are Ghana's Peter Turkson, Luis Tagle of the Philippines, and Hungary's Peter Erdo.
There are over 240 cardinals worldwide. However, only those under the age of 80 can vote in the election, known as the papal conclave. During the conclave, cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel to vote in secret. Though the usual voting limit is 120, currently 138 cardinals are eligible.
ALSO READ: What Did Pope Francis Do Before Demise at 88? Last Twitter Post, Meeting With JD Vance and More
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