Body of Pope Francis Before his funeral on 26 April, he lay down in the kingdom in St. Peter in Rome. 88 -year -old Pontiff recently died of a stroke after a bout in pneumonia. He made his last public presence on Easter Sunday, a day before his death. Born in Buenos Aires, at George Mario Bergoglyo, he became the Pope after Benedict XVI retired in 2013. Francis was the first person of the Southern Hemisphere for the head of the Catholic Church. Several world leaders are expected to attend their funeral, including Donald Trump, Volodimier Zelansky, Ukraine President and Argentina President Xavier Milli.