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Vatican Shares Pope Francis’ Cause of Death and Final Wishes

The Vatican shared Pope Francis’ death certificate and will on Monday.

The Vatican has released Pope Francis’ death certificate, revealing the 88-year-old pontiff’s cause of death on Monday, ABC News reported. His official death certificate states Francis passed away in his Vatican apartment at 7:35 a.m. Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli said the Pope died “as a result of a stroke and irreversible heart failure,” adding that he had been affected by “a previous episode of acute respiratory failure in bilateral multi microbial pneumonia, multiple bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension and type II diabetes.” Francis was seen publicly the day before, meeting briefly with Vice President JD Vance on Easter Sunday. “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said of the pope. Francis’ will, also released Monday, requested a modest burial: “The tomb must be in the Earth; simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus.” The pope will be buried at the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome.