Death of Pope Francis: Notre-Dame Cathedral holds two masses this Monday

A fitting tribute to the pontiff's death... This Monday, April 21, 2025, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will host a mass in tribute to Pope Francis, who died in the morning at the age of 88. Ceremonies will take place at noon and 6pm, followed by a prayer vigil at 7pm. The mass takes place against a backdrop of mourning for the Catholic Church, with the Vatican officially announcing the pontiff's death in a statement: " This morning, at 7:35 a.m., the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father," said Cardinal Farrell, the current Camerlingue.

Shortly after the announcement of his death at 11 a.m., the cathedral bells rang 88 times, echoing the age of Pope Francis. A 23-minute sequence, concluded by a great volley of bells, marked the start of the tribute paid by the Archdiocese of Paris. The "88 strokes for 88 years of life " were confirmed by the Notre-Dame Cathedral press office. This particular tone, at an extremely slow tempo, aroused the emotion of the faithful present.

• To be read
• All you need to know about Notre-Dame de Paris: opening hours, tours, reservations, events
• Pope Francis dies at the Vatican, aged 88
• Death of Pope Francis: when and how is a pope's funeral held?

Interviewed on BFMTV, Father Laurent Stalla-Bourdillon, priest in Paris, explains: " The tone of the bells ringing at this extremely slow rhythm is quite overwhelming. It's the whole Church of Paris, and through Notre-Dame no doubt the whole Church of France, which is inviting us to meditate ". He also emphasized the symbolic significance of the event: " I think it's very mysterious to experience the death of a pope during Easter week. I almost feel like telling you that his death sends us back to the message he served," he added.

In addition to the two masses and the vigil, the cathedral is exceptionally open at this symbolic time of year, allowing the faithful to come and pay their respects.

This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here.