Pope Francis' cause of death, final wishes revealed

More details have been disclosed about the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday at 88 years old.

According to his death certificate released by the Vatican, he died of a stroke, causing a coma and "irreversible" heart failure.

The 88-year-old Catholic leader died on Monday morning, almost a month after having been discharged from five weeks in hospital where he nearly succumbed to double pneumonia.

Francis passed away in his apartment at the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican. He died of "cerebral stroke, coma, irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse," the death certificate said.

In his last will and testament written in June 2022, he said he had "always entrusted my life and my priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy," so he asked that his mortal remains "rest awaiting the day of resurrection in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore."

"I ask that my tomb be prepared in the niche of the side nave between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the aforementioned Papal Basilica," he said, noting that it "must be in the earth; simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus." 

The Pope said the cost of preparing the burial will be taken care of by a sum provided by a benefactor, which he "arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major." He said necessary instructions were sent to to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Liberian Basilica.

"May the Lord give the deserved reward to those who have loved me and will continue to pray for me. The suffering that has become present in the last part of my life I have offered to the Lord for peace in the world and brotherhood among peoples," he concluded.

The pontiff had already been affected by a previous episode of acute respiratory failure when he had double pneumonia in hospital, it added.

He had also suffered from arterial hypertension, multiple bronchiectasis and Type 2 diabetes—something that was not previously known.

It was signed by the director of health of the Vatican City State, professor Andrea Arcangeli.