Laura Gotzi
BBC News, Rome
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Pope Francis waves crowds on Easter Sunday in an open air that surprised many
At noon on Monday, church bells across Italy began to fall victim to the deaths. Pope Francis is dead.
It has been less than 24 hours since he made a surprising appearance on the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
The Pope was breathing himself without an oxygen tube despite his doctors telling him to recover for two months in the hospital 38 days later with dual pneumonia.
Over the past two weeks, Francis has done what he always did, embraced visitors and met people of all life.
When he appeared on Easter Sunday, the following crowd erupted in cheers. Then he was silent.
“Dear brothers and sisters, I wish you a happy Easter,” he said, his voice heavy with effort.
They were supposed to be his final words in public.
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“I think people can feel something – as if they can say it’s the last time they’ll see him,” said Mauro, a Roman resident who was in St. Peters Square for Easter Mass and returned to pay his respects.
“Usually, everyone screams for the Pope for a long time!”
“He congratulated us, but his voice was in shell,” a man called Alberto told the BBC. “I think he gave us his final goodbye.”
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A stable flow of pilgrims has returned to St. Peter
The doctor who treated Francis at Gemeri Hospital in Rome had prescribed a regimen of full rest, but the typical active pope who spent much of his Pope’s meeting on people never followed them.
Francis had already made it clear that he wanted to return to the Vatican in time for Easter.
For Christians, Easter is even more important than Christmas. It symbolizes the core doctrine of their faith, and thus the rebirth of Christ three days after being nailed to his cross.
Before being discharged from the hospital on March 23rd, Francis also waved to the hospital crowd before returning to his quarters at the guesthouse in Casa Santa Marta where he built his home.
His medical team said all he needed was oxygen and recovering there was better than the hospital with all the infections.
Easter was only three weeks away, but as it approached, the Pope’s schedule became busier and busier.
He met King Charles and Queen Camilla at Casa San Marta, and appeared on Palm Balcony on Sunday, April 13th, and mixed with a crowd of 20,000 people in St. Peter Square on April 13th.
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Pope Francis also made an unexpected appearance at St. Peter’s Square for Palm Sunday
But for the Pope, Easter was the most important time.
Last Thursday, he had done it many times before, so as he had done it in his hometown of Argentina before becoming Pope, he visited Regina Coli Prison in Rome, where he met 30 minutes of prisoners.
Over the past few years he washed the prisoners’ feet, reflecting what Jesus said to have done with his disciples the night before his death.
“I can’t do that this year, but I want to be close to you and still be close,” he told dozens of inmates who came to see him in a weak voice to those who cheered him on when he toured the prison.
“We are very fortunate. The people on the outside can’t see him, and we do,” one man told Italian media.
As he was leaving prison, Francis was asked by a journalist how he would experience Easter this year.
“In any way,” he replied.
And on Sunday he kept his promise.
Vatican Media
Prison staff and security guards welcomed Pope Francis when he marked the holy thing on Thursday at Regina Coli Prison
He held a brief meeting with US Vice President J.D. Vance before appearing in front of the crowds in St. Peter’s Square as the following crowd exploded with cheers.
He made his final blessing – the speech of the city and Orbi in Latin means “to the city and the world.” Archbishop Diego Ravelli then read a speech written by the Pope while Francis quietly sat beside him.
Then, to his surprise, he descended to St. Peter Square, where he was driven in an open-top popemobile.
With his arms raised, his faithful lined arms lined up the sunny square, cameras continued around him, and several babies were raised close to him. That was the last time I saw the world live.
Rome’s Alberto saw Francis’ blessing on Sunday and felt that the Pope’s death remained a shock, but not long.
“I wasn’t happy to see him, I could tell he was in pain,” he said. “But it was an honor to see him for the last time.”
Francis passed away early Monday in his beloved Casa Santa Marta. This is a settlement of 100 simple rooms run by Nun and opened to pilgrims and visitors.
A little over two hours later, Cardinal Chamberlain, or Camerlengo, stood at Casa Santa Marta to publish the news.
The Vatican said he died Monday evening of a stroke and irreversible heart failure.
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Worshipers paid tribute to Francis during the Rosary at St. Peter’s Square
The Pope’s room was far from the gorgeousness of the Vatican sacred chambers, which were normally destined to Pontif.
“If I lived alone, I’d probably be a bit isolated and that wouldn’t be of any use to me,” he said at the time.
In the coming days, Cardinals from around the world will be staying at Casa Santa Marta, gathering in Rome for Conclave, who will choose to succeed Francis.
Outside, in the bright sunlight of St. Peter’s Square, we were mingling with priests and monks under the imposing cathedral.
The group of nuns, dressed in grey and white, glared at the man dancing in his headphones. “I don’t respect you,” they leaned.
The same big screen broadcasting the Pope’s Blessing for Easter showed a smiling photo of Francis and a notice that it was being held for him 12 hours after his death.
It allows Catholics to pray for their Pope – and thank you for celebrating the final Easter with them.
