Corriere della Sera has reported that Pope Francis’ doctor found the pontiff with his eyes open and breathing normally, but unresponsive when he was called to the Vatican early Monday morning.

Pope Francis died quickly on Monday morning from an unexpected stroke without suffering undue pain, and there was nothing that doctors could have done to save his life, the head of the pontiff's medical team said in interviews published on Thursday.

“This moment is critical now,” Bishop Sean W. Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, said. “For those of us who want to embody the Sermon on the Mount, and the Beatitudes, and the love that Jesus showed in the world, this is now more important than ever.”

Bells rang out as the Pope's coffin was carried across St Peter's Square to lie in state ahead of the funeral on Saturday.

Pope Francis sought to empower women and laity in synods, fueling conservatives' worry about LGBTQ+ inclusion and women's ordination as deacons.