Pope Francis Made Final Appearance Hours Before His Death
was a man of the people.
The 266th pope (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio) made one final appearance April 20 to commemorate Easter Sunday at the Vatican, hours before he died on the morning of April 21 at the age of 88.
Francis blessed an estimated crowd of over 35,000 people at St. Peter's Square, reciting the customary Urbi et Orbi blessing (Latin for "to the city and the world") after skipping Easter mass, which was delegated to Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the Associated Press reported.
The Buenos Aires-born leader greeted the crowd by saying, "Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter," appearing on the balcony at St. Peter's Basilica for around 20 minutes before surprising those who had gathered for his planned appearance with a ride around the square in the popemobile.
The ride served as his first in the open-topped popemobile since his 38-day hospitalization for double pneumonia, and he made sure to occasionally stop to bless babies, according to the AP.
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During his final public appearance, per CNN reports, Francis had difficulty speaking for long periods and appeared not to be able to lift his arms. The microphone he spoke into and papers he read from during his Easter blessing were held by those around him.
The crowd's chants of "viva il papa!" (long live the pope) came hours after he'd briefly met with United States Vice President JD Vance, who was visiting Rome with his family.
"I know you have not been feeling great but it's good to see you in better health,' Vance told the pope, per AP. 'Thank you for seeing me."
The following morning, Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced to the world that His Holy Father had died in the wake of his health struggles.
"At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father," he said in a statement obtained by NBC News. "He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and the marginalized."
Following the news of his passing, leaders from around the world expressed their condolences, including King Charles III.
"My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis," Charles said on behalf of himself and Queen Camilla. "Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry."
"His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion," the king continued, "his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others. His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world. Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many."
The monarch finished by reflecting on his final meeting with Francis, which was less than two weeks prior on April 9.
"The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month," Charles shared. "We send our most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve and to the countless people around the world who, inspired by his life, will be mourning the devastating loss of this faithful follower of Jesus Christ."
Keep reading for a look at Pope Francis' final public appearances...
(E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
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