The coffin of Pope Francis rests before the altar at the funeral Mass on St. Peter's Square, April 26, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAVatican City, Dec 30, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).2025 began with Catholics around the world uniting in prayer for Pope Francis' health as he entered the hospital on Feb. 14. He was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome for a respiratory infection that progressed to bilateral pneumonia, requiring a prolonged hospitalization that lasted almost six weeks.Soon after, on March 29, the pontiff was readmitted into the hospital with difficulty breathing. On April 21, the day after Easter, Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 from a stroke, coma, and irreversible cardiovascular collapse, according to the death certificate published just over 12 hours after his death.On April 26, more than 400,000 people filled St. Peter's Square for the funeral of Pope Francis as the world said goodbye to the first Latin American pope who led?the Catholic Church for 12 y...
The coffin of Pope Francis rests before the altar at the funeral Mass on St. Peter's Square, April 26, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Vatican City, Dec 30, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
2025 began with Catholics around the world uniting in prayer for Pope Francis' health as he entered the hospital on Feb. 14. He was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome for a respiratory infection that progressed to bilateral pneumonia, requiring a prolonged hospitalization that lasted almost six weeks.
Soon after, on March 29, the pontiff was readmitted into the hospital with difficulty breathing. On April 21, the day after Easter, Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 from a stroke, coma, and irreversible cardiovascular collapse, according to the death certificate published just over 12 hours after his death.
On April 26, more than 400,000 people filled St. Peter's Square for the funeral of Pope Francis as the world said goodbye to the first Latin American pope who led?the Catholic Church for 12 years.?
Then on May 7, 133 cardinal electors gathered from all corners of the globe in the Sistine Chapel for the start of the conclave to elect a new pope. After four ballots, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected on May 8 as the 267th bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church. He took the name Pope Leo XIV. A Chicago native, he became the first American pope in Church history.
Here are some of the most impactful images from the papal transition — beginning with Pope Francis' last general audience before being admitted to the hospital, the start of the conclave, and the election of Pope Leo:
Pope Francis greets visitors at his general audience at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaThe first photo of Pope Francis after entering Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14, 2025. Credit: Holy See Press OfficePope Francis waves from a balcony at Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Sunday, March 23, 2025, following weeks of hospitalization for bilateral pneumonia. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAThe body of Pope Francis lies in state at the Vatican's Domus Sanctae Marthae chapel, surrounded by Swiss Guards, cardinals, and Vatican officials paying their respects before his transfer to St. Peter's Basilica for public veneration, Monday, April 21, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Francis' hands are seen as his body lies in state at the Vatican's Domus Sanctae Marthae chapel, Monday, April 21, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaPallbearers carry the wooden coffin of Pope Francis, marked with a cross, into St. Peter's Square for the funeral Mass on April 26, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAAn aerial view of St. Peter's Square filled with thousands of mourners, clergy, and dignitaries gathered for Pope Francis' funeral Mass under clear blue skies in Vatican City on April 26, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNATables and chairs sit in the Sistine Chapel waiting for the arrival of cardinals for the conclave to elect the next pope, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaCardinals prepare to begin the conclave to elect a new pope in the Sistine Chapel on May 7, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaWhite smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on May 8, 2025, as the crowds cheer on St. Peter's Square. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAPope Leo XIV waves to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square shortly after his election on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAPope Leo XIV prays at the tomb of Pope Francis at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Vatican City, Saturday, May 10, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV waves during the inaugural Mass of his pontificate, held in St. Peter's Square on May 18, 2025. He stands in front of a Flemish tapestry depicting the dialogue between Jesus and Peter after the miraculous catch of fish. Credit: Vatican Media
Father Sylvester Okechukwu of the Diocese of Kafanchan in Nigeria was found murdered on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025. | Credit: Diocese of Kafanchan, NigeriaDec 30, 2025 / 15:01 pm (CNA).A total of 17 missionaries were killed worldwide during 2025, the Jubilee Year of Hope. With these figures, the number of missionaries and pastoral workers who have lost their lives by violence since the year 2000 to the present day has risen to 626.On Dec. 30, Fides News Agency published its annual report, which documents the murders of missionaries and all Catholic Christians involved in pastoral activity who have died by violence.The report includes priests, nuns, seminarians, and laypeople who died because of their faith in contexts often marked by violence, extreme poverty, and injustice. In many cases, they were true witnesses to the Gospel who remained faithful to their mission until the end, freely offering their lives to Christ.Africa is once again the hardest-hit continent, with 1...
Aerial view of St. Peter's Square filled with thousands of mourners including clergy and dignitaries gathered for Pope Francis' funeral Mass under a clear blue sky on April 26, 2025, in Vatican City. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN NewsDec 30, 2025 / 15:56 pm (CNA).During the year 2025, the participation of the faithful in audiences and liturgical celebrations at the Vatican reached a total of 3,176,620 people.The Vatican released on Dec. 30 the attendance figures for liturgical celebrations in 2025, a year marked by the Jubilee of Hope, the death of Pope Francis, and the election in May of Pope Leo XIV.Under the pontificate of Pope Francis, who died on April 21, a total attendance of 262,820 faithful was recorded. The largest crowds were at the Angelus, with 130,000 people, followed by the liturgical celebrations, which drew 62,000 faithful.The general and jubilee audiences were attended by 60,500 people, while the total for special audiences was 10,320. The months with the highe...
Credit: Zolnierek/ShutterstockDec 30, 2025 / 10:45 am (CNA).Pope Leo XIV warned about the danger that gambling poses to many families during a Dec. 29 audience with members of the National Association of Italian Municipalities.At the beginning of his address, delivered in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, the Holy Father explained that "the incarnation of the Son of God brings us face to face with a child, whose gentle fragility is in stark contrast to the crushing power of King Herod."In this context, he emphasized that "the massacre of the innocents ordered by him not only represents a loss of a future for society but is also a manifestation of an inhuman power that does not know the beauty of love because it disregards the dignity of human life."On the contrary, the pope explained that the birth of the Lord "reveals the most authentic aspect of all power, which is above all responsibility and service," and noted that all authority must "embody the virtues of humility, hon...
The coffin of Pope Francis rests before the altar at the funeral Mass on St. Peter's Square, April 26, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
