On April 21, Pope Francis passed away from a cerebral stroke, which put him in a coma and caused his heart to fail. Prior to his death, Francis made an appearance in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, blessing thousands of people.

Francis was the first Latin American pope and was known for his concern for the poor and for modernizing the papacy.  

His death kicks off a week of mourning, ending with a funeral and a vote to elect a new pope, known as a conclave. Francis will be buried in a simple casket in St. Mary Major Basilica.