RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT “VATICAN MEDIA” ----EDITORIAL USE ONLY--- DO NOT OBSCURE LOGO SHOTLIST: VATICAN CITY (APR. 22, 2025) (VATICAN MEDIA – RESTRICTED) 1. VARIOUS OF POPE FRANCIS’ BEING SEALED 2. CARDINAL KEVIN FARREL, VATICAN SECRETARY OF STATE CARDINAL, PIETRO PAROLIN AND ARCHBISHOP EDGAR PENA PARRA CHECKING SEAL 3. VARIOUS OF THREE CLERGY MEN WALKING IN APOSTOLIC PALACE 4. VARIOUS OF ANOTHER DOOR BEING SEALED AND BEING CHECKED BY CLERGY MENVATICAN CITY - APR. 22, 2025: Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday morning at the age of 88, Vatican authorities sealed his residence and officially declared the papal seat vacant on Tuesday, Apr. 22, in accordance with canon law. According to Vatican News, the declaration of death and placement of the pope’s body in a coffin occurred at approximately 8 p.m. on Monday, initiating the formal transition process. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo (Chamberlain), led the sealing of Pope Francis’ residence in the Apostolic Palace. He was joined by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra. As part of the procedures, the “Fisherman’s Ring”—a symbol of papal authority—was ceremonially destroyed under the supervision of the Camerlengo. The status Sede Vacante, meaning “the seat is vacant,” was officially declared, with the Vatican’s website reflecting the change. The College of Cardinals was expected to convene Tuesday morning to begin planning Pope Francis’ funeral and initiate the process of selecting the next pope. - Pope's death Pope Francis died at age 88 after suffering a prolonged illness, the Vatican announced on Monday. He suffered a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis" associated with thrombocytopenia, according to a previous Vatican statement. Francis was born in Buenos Aires on Dec. 17, 1936, to Italian immigrant parents. He studied in Argentina and later in Germany before being ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969. Over a decade into his papacy, Pope Francis remained a figure of admiration and controversy. He sought to reform the Vatican’s bureaucracy, tackle corruption, and address some of the Church’s most pressing challenges. While he had been hailed for his humility and commitment to social justice, his leadership had also drawn sharp resistance from conservatives within the Church and beyond.