Pope Francis: Farewell to St. Peter's Basilica with dark spots on the body

Pope Francis: Farewell to St. Peter's Basilica with dark spots on the body

On April 23, 2025, the funeral for Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, began. Believers have the opportunity to say goodbye to St. Peter's Basis by the end of the week. The Pope's body was laid out in St. Peter's Basilica on Tuesday, where it was prepared for the ceremony. The coffin stands in front of an altar where Francis often celebrated the early mass. The dead Pope is wearing a red robe and a white bishop's mitra. A rosary is wrapped around his folded hands. Members of the Swiss guard wake up on the right and left of the coffin to show the funeral ceremony the necessary respect.

In photos of the body, dark spots on the face and discoloration are visible on the Pope's hands. Doctors Thomas Kurscheid explains that these are called normal spots of death that occur when the body comes into contact with the ground after death. He suspects that the Pope was probably on the bed with the left half of the face, which led to these discoloration. This medical explanation is intended to help invalidate speculation about the deceased.

last words and health condition

The death of Pope Francis came after a health crisis that started on Easter Monday around 5:30 a.m. The Pope, who suffered from bilateral pneumonia, fell into a coma and died of the consequences of a stroke and subsequent irreversible cardiovascular failure. He addressed his last words to his nurse Massimiliano Strappetti: "Thank you for bringing me back to the Piazza." These words fell briefly after talking to Strappetti about his state of health.

Pope Francis had spoken to Easter blessing Urbi et Orbi on St. Peter's Square on Easter Sunday and also blessed infants. The loss of the Pope comes as a surprise to many believers, especially in view of his humble service and his tireless work for interreligious dialogue and social justice.

A look at the story

The grief for Pope Francis throws a shadow on the eventful history of the papacy, which in the past has often been characterized by power struggles and controversy. An example of this is the trial of Pope Formosus in 897, in which this posthumously was charged. Such events show how fragile the position of a Pope has been over the centuries and the challenges with which the church is faced.

The last words of Francis will go down in the history as a memory of a Pope, which was always trying to do the well -being of his believers during his term. While the world mourned him, his legacy will live on in the hearts of his followers.