Funeral arrangements have been announced for Pope Francis, who died Sunday at the age of 88.
The funeral will be Saturday, with Pope Francis to be buried outside the Vatican walls — a rarity for pontiffs — at Saint Mary Major in Rome.
The Vatican says Pope Francis suffered a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure. The pope had suffered health issues for decades, most recently with a respiratory tract infection that led to double pneumonia in February.
The first-ever leader of the Roman Catholic faith from Latin America, Pope Francis — born to the name Jorge Mario Bergoglio — was well-known for his outreach efforts to marginalized communities. He was ordained to the Jesuit order in 1969. He became an auxiliary bishop in 1992, became archbishop for Buenos Aires in 1992 and was elevated to cardinal in 2001. He was elected pope in 2013.
The College of Cardinals will select the next pope by casting as many as four ballots a day until a new leader is named. A two-thirds majority is needed to choose a new pope.
KVOE News is reaching out to local Catholics and the Archdiocese of Kansas City for their perspectives.
