Holy Week is a time when the pope would be expected to be front and center of events. But as Francis continues to recover from double pneumonia, observers are on the lookout for surprise appearances.

The Vatican has released the first photos that show Pope Francis lying in state after the head of the Catholic church died on Easter Monday.

Pope Francis, the 266th and current pope of the Catholic Church, passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. He died in his residence at Domus Sanctae Marthae in Vatican City, following complications from a cerebral stroke and cardiac arrest.