Media Release

Mangaluru, Apr 21: The Diocese of Mangalore announces with profound sorrow the death of His Holiness Pope Francis, who was called to eternal rest on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. He passed away at 7.35 am local time in his residence at Casa Santa Marta, Vatican City and returned to the Heavenly Father.

“We thank the Lord for his 12 years as Bishop of Rome and successor of St Peter the Apostle. He lived the Gospel values with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised, and inspired us to do likewise,” said Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangalore.

During his 12-year pontificate, Pope Francis became the first Jesuit and the first Latin American to serve as Supreme Pontiff. In choosing the name Francis, he signalled a papacy grounded in poverty, simplicity, and care for our common home, in line with the life and teachings of St Francis of Assisi. He is widely acclaimed for his landmark 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, which called for urgent global action on climate change as a moral imperative, the bishop has recalled in a media communique.

Pope Francis also reshaped governance of the Vatican City State, and addressed many urgent issues in the universal Church. He forged historic interfaith bridges, and earned the moniker “world’s parish priest” for his pastoral closeness to people in every corner of the globe, reminisces the bishop .

Bishop Saldanha invited the parish priests to schedule a requiem Mass in the parish Churches to pray for the Pope’s soul, observing the norms of the liturgical calendar and he proposed that special petitions may be included in the Universal Prayer (Prayer of the Faithful) for the soul of Pope Francis.

May Pope Francis, known as the “voice of peace” rest in the peace of Christ, the bishop has stated in a press release.