Before his passing, Pope Francis left a final message of hope to the world.
The pontiff published his final message before dying in X.
Carolina Castillo
The last message Pope Francis shared before his death. It was posted on the social network X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday morning, April 20, at 6:15 a.m., on the occasion of Easter.
“Christ is risen! This proclamation contains the entire meaning of our existence, which is not made for death but for life.” A tweet that today, after his passing, resonates with even greater emotional force.
The digital legacy of a modern Pope
The @Pontifex account, created on December 12, 2012, and first used by Pope Benedict XVI, was one of the main channels for spreading the Gospel message in the 21st century.
To date, it has accumulated more than 18 million followers in its different language versions.
On Monday morning, the username was changed to Apostolica Sedes Vacans, a Latin expression indicating that the Apostolic See is vacant.
Furthermore, it no longer displays the pontiff’s profile picture, but rather the traditional coat of arms of the vacant See, featuring the crossed keys and the papal flag, a symbol of interrupted papal authority.
A farewell that moves the world
The world woke up this Monday, April 21, to the sad news of the pontiff’s death at 7:35 a.m. at the age of 88.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Buenos Aires, 1936) had been elected pope in March 2013, and with his arrival a long tradition of European popes was broken.
“My brother cardinals have gone to the ends of the earth to find the Pope,” were his first words from the balcony of St. Peter’s.
A pontificate marked by closeness and simplicity
Francis was the first Latin American pontiff. His papacy was characterized by his closeness to the people, his humility—he always wore a simple silver cross and worn black shoes—and his firm commitment to social justice and Church reform.
Fragile health, unshakeable faith
Since 2021, his health began to deteriorate. Last February, he was hospitalized with severe bronchitis and bilateral pneumonia.
Although he recovered and was discharged at the end of March, his condition remained critical. Nevertheless, he fulfilled some public commitments in recent weeks.
