On Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, Pope Francis — the 266th Bishop of Rome and spiritual leader to more than 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide — made a surprise public appearance in St. Peter’s Square that would prove to be his last. Despite ongoing health challenges and recent hospitalizations for severe respiratory ailments, the 88‑year‑old pontiff emerged in a wheelchair, greeted the faithful with words of hope, and toured the square in the open‑air Popemobile. Mere hours later, at dawn on Easter Monday, April 21, he passed away peacefully at his residence in Casa Santa Marta. In the wake of his death, that Easter Sunday outing has taken on new resonance as a testament to his enduring pastoral zeal and personal humility.
This article provides a comprehensive, professional overview of Pope Francis’s final public appearance, the sequence of events leading up to it, the reaction of the faithful, and the broader significance of his papacy. It also chronicles his health journey in the months preceding his death, offering context for the surprise nature of his Easter Sunday blessing.