When did Pope Francis die? A brief timeline from hospitalization to final appearance and death
Pope Francis previously spent about five weeks in the hospital with life-threatening respiratory ailments before he was released March 23.
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, about four weeks after he was released from the hospital following an extended battle with respiratory ailments.
While the Vatican did not immediately specify an official cause of death in its announcement, the pope spent about five weeks earlier in 2025 hospitalized with a life-threatening case of pneumonia in both his lungs. Francis, 88, has made a few public appearances since the asthma-like health crisis, including a final one on Easter Sunday when he appeared to thousands of Catholics outside the Vatican.
Since his discharge in late March, Francis, elected in 2013 as the 266th pope, had been recovering at his Vatican residence at Casa Santa Marta. Before his death, the Vatican had said as recently as last week that his health was improving.
Here's a look at a brief timeline from his Feb. 6 diagnosis to his last public appearance April 20:
Feb. 6: Vatican says pope has bronchitis
The Vatican first announced the pope had bronchitis on Feb. 6 after he canceled several events in early February and had reportedly been struggling to breathe and speak.
Feb. 14: Pope Francis hospitalized
Pope Francis was admitted Feb. 14 to a Rome hospital. Four days later, he was diagnosed with bilateral, or double, pneumonia.
Feb. 28: Pope has 'worst night' in hospital
While hospitalized, Pope Francis suffered multiple attacks of "acute respiratory insufficiency," according to daily updates issued by the Vatican. At one point, he was in critical condition.
Physicians performed procedures known as bronchoscopies to clear his air passages after bronchospasms, similar to asthma attacks. While hospitalized, the pope was also diagnosed with a polymicrobial infection and then mild renal insufficiency.
Sergio Alfieri, a physician at Rome's Gemelli hospital, told Italy's Corriere della Sera in an interview published March 25 that Feb. 28 was the "worst night" during Pope Francis' five-week hospitalization. On that night, the pope's condition suddenly worsened and physicians even considered halting treatment to allow Pope Francis to die peacefully.
March 23: Pope Francis released from hospital
After 38 days, Francis was released March 23 from the hospital to return to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta to continue his recovery.
Before leaving the hospital, the pope appeared on a balcony in a wheelchair, where he offered a crowd of about 3,000 people gathered in the courtyard below a brief blessing and a few words of thanks.
April 20: Pope Francis makes final appearance Easter Sunday
Francis' final public appearance came on Easter Sunday, the holiest day in the Christian year. After blessing the throng from the balcony, Francis emerged into the crowd at St. Peter's Square in his popemobile.
The pope sat in a raised chair in the vehicle as thousands cheered “viva il papa,” stopping at several places along the square, much to the delight of the crowd.
April 21: Pope Francis dies at 7:35 a.m. local time
Pope Francis died at 7:35 a.m. local time (1:35 a.m. ET) on Monday, April 21, Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced to Vatican News.