Pope Francis’s reported last spoken words were, “Thank you for bringing me back to the Square.” He said this to Massimiliano Strappetti, his personal healthcare assistant, after returning from a final ride through St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, according to L’Osservatore Romano. The Holy See’s signed death declaration records that Francis died at 7:35 a.m. on 21 April 2025.
The reported final exchange
L’Osservatore Romano published the account on 5 May 2025, identifying Massimiliano Strappetti as the person who heard Francis’s final reported sentence. Strappetti was the pope’s personal healthcare assistant and had accompanied him during his last public outing.
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The remark followed Francis’s return from St Peter’s Square, where he had gone after delivering the Easter blessing. The Vatican newspaper said signs of sudden illness appeared the following morning. About an hour after those signs began, Francis made a farewell gesture to Strappetti and slipped into a coma.
What Pope Francis did on Easter Sunday
Francis’s last public appearance was on Easter Sunday, 20 April 2025. From the loggia of St Peter’s Basilica, he delivered the Urbi et Orbi blessing, the traditional Easter message and blessing to Rome and the world.
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He then went into St Peter’s Square to greet and bless people in person. L’Osservatore Romano reported that about 50,000 faithful were present for the ride and greeting. The outing was brief, but it was his final public act before his illness the next morning.
Francis’s final hours: the documented timeline
| Date and time | Event | Source and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 14 February 2025 | Francis was admitted to Agostino Gemelli Hospital with bilateral pneumonia. | The Holy See’s official biography records a 38-day hospital stay. |
| 20 April 2025, Easter Sunday | After the Urbi et Orbi blessing and his visit to St Peter’s Square, Francis returned to Casa Santa Marta. | The public appearance is recorded in the Vatican’s Deed for the Pious Transit; the account of the ride and final exchange was reported by L’Osservatore Romano. |
| 20 April 2025, later | Francis thanked Strappetti after being brought back from the Square. | This is a reported recollection attributed to Strappetti in L’Osservatore Romano, not a separate signed medical record. |
| 21 April 2025, about 5:30 a.m. | Signs of sudden illness appeared. | L’Osservatore Romano gave this approximate time. |
| 21 April 2025, around 6:30 a.m. | Francis made a farewell gesture and then slipped into a coma. | This timing also comes from the Vatican newspaper’s report and is approximate. |
| 21 April 2025, 7:35 a.m. | Francis died in his apartment at Domus Sanctae Marthae, Vatican City. | The time and location are certified in the Holy See’s signed death declaration. |
What the Vatican death declaration says
The official declaration, signed by Professor Andrea Arcangeli, Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of Vatican City State, states that Francis “died at 7:35 a.m. on 21/04/2025 in his apartment at the Domus Sanctae Marthae (Vatican City).”
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It lists stroke, coma and irreversible cardiovascular collapse as the causes of death. The document also records recent acute respiratory failure associated with bilateral multimicrobial pneumonia among the underlying medical conditions. Those certified findings provide the medical record for the death; they do not assign a medical cause to every moment described in the newspaper’s personal account.
How the two Vatican accounts should be read
The signed record
The Holy See death declaration is the authoritative source for the exact time, place and certified causes of death. Its 7:35 a.m. time is precise because it is an official certification.
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The Vatican newspaper report
L’Osservatore Romano supplies the more detailed narrative of the final exchange, the onset of illness and the transition into a coma. Its times of about 5:30 a.m. and around 6:30 a.m. are reported recollections rather than certified timestamps.
What is—and is not—established about suffering
The newspaper reported that people present said Francis did not suffer. That is an observation attributed to witnesses in the account, not a separate medical conclusion in the death declaration.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the Easter appearance was significant
Francis had only recently returned from a 38-day hospitalization for bilateral pneumonia. Despite that recovery and his frailty, he appeared publicly on Easter, gave the traditional blessing and chose to meet people in the Square. His final reported words therefore followed an act of personal contact with the faithful, rather than a formal address from his residence or hospital bed.
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