President Luis Abinader issued Decree 216-25, instating three days of mourning (22, 23 and 24 April 2025) for Pope Francisco. The Pope died on Monday, 21 April 2025 in the Vatican City.
His last act as head of the Catholic Church was to appear on Easter Sunday on the balcony of St Peter’s Square, waving at thousands of worshippers after weeks in the hospital recovering from double pneumonia.
Less than a year ago, President Abinader, after winning his second term in office on 16 May 2024, traveled with First Lady Raquel Arbaje and his three daughters Esther, Graciela and Adriana, to Rome and the Vatican for an official visit with the Pope on 27 May 2025. He fondly recalls speaking with the Pope for about 45 minutes and recalls the Pope as a person of much humor. He says they spoke of the DR in general, the church in the DR, geopolitics, global leaders and the family. The presidential family gave Pope Francisco a rosary made from larimar stones. During that visit, the family was accompanied by Jose Monegro, executive editor of El Dia and his wife.
Pope Francisco had prepared a tomb for himself at his favorite church in Rome, the Basilica of St Mary Major, which will be his last earthly abode, following the funeral ceremonies.
Pope Francisco is succeeded temporarily by Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell who as camerlengo is the person who runs the Vatican after the death or resignation of a pope. BBC explains that Pope Francisco nominated the cardinal for the role in 2019. The cardinal will remain in the position during the “Apostolica Sedes Vacans”, the period between the death or resignation of a pope until the election of the next pontiff. Farrell will play an important role in the centuries-old ceremonies to mourn Pope Francisco.
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22 April 2025