Mexicans from all walks of life are mourning the death on Monday of Pope Francis, 88, after 12 years serving as the pontiff.
The passing of the first Latin American Pope was felt deeply in Mexico, a nation that has the largest number of Catholics after Brazil.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sorrow that we announce the death of our Holy Father, Pope Francis,” the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM) wrote on its official social media channels. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of our Father.”
Following confirmation of his passing by the Vatican, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City rang 100 funeral bells to signal the beginning of the tradition-laden transitional period known as sede vacante (vacant seat).
The Argentina-born Pope passed away after a long recovery from bilateral pneumonia, which kept him hospitalized for 38 days at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. He was discharged on March 23 and appeared visibly weak as he participated in yesterday’s Easter Sunday Mass from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Archdiocese of Mexico City announced the celebration of a solemn Mass at 12 p.m. at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in honor of Pope Francis. The Mass, the statement says, is to “thank God for the Pope’s life and pray for his eternal rest.” The service was streamed live from the Basilica’s official platforms.
The statement requested that all parishes in the Archdiocese celebrate Mass on Monday in honor of Pope Francis.
In the statement, Archbishop Primate of Mexico Carlos Cardenal Aguiar Retes noted the symbolism of the date of Francis’s death, which occurred in the middle of the Easter Octave, noting that the Pope “lived this Easter and left.” In Cardinal Aguiar’s words, the Pope was “a constant call to conversion, fraternity, hope and synodality.”
President Claudia Sheinbaum also expressed her condolences at her daily morning press conference.
“Our condolences for Pope Francis’ passing,” Sheinbaum said. “Our condolences to all Catholics in Mexico, but also non-Catholics … May he rest in peace.
On social media, Sheinbaum shared a message honoring the late Pope as a “humanist who stood for the poor, peace and equality. He left behind a great legacy of true love for humankind. For Catholics and non-Catholics alike, this is a great loss. Knowing him was a great honor and privilege.”
Muere el Papa Francisco. Un humanista que optó por los pobres, la paz y la igualdad. Deja un gran legado de verdadero amor al prójimo. Para los católicos y los que no lo son, es una gran pérdida. Haberlo conocido fue un gran honor y privilegio. Descanse en paz. pic.twitter.com/6IWMBkQDBN
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) April 21, 2025
The Vatican has announced plans to transfer the Pope’s body to St. Peter’s on Wednesday for the final greeting of the faithful.
The papal visit to Mexico recalled
The news of the Pope’s passing reminded many Mexicans of the historic visit by Pope Francis to Mexico in February 2016, when he drew praise and stupor for refusing to use an armored car. During his trip, he visited Mexico City, México state, Chiapas, Michoacán and Chihuahua.
His trip included a public Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and another before 400 observants in Ecatepec, México state. In San Cristóbal de las Casas, the Pope asked for forgiveness in the name of the Catholic Church for the abuses committed against Mexico’s Indigenous communities in the past.
The Pope ended his visit at the Mexico-U.S. border, where he blessed a cross dedicated to migrants to the U.S.
With reports from Infobae
