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.

The faithful will be flocking to Rome to honor the death of Pope Francis, with his funeral scheduled for Saturday April 26. While the city is heavily booked out, there are still ways to visit affordably.

Maria Pia Caruso travelled to Rome from her hometown in northern Italy after she learned Pope Francis had died at age 88, to say a final goodbye to a pontiff she believes brought important changes to the global Catholic Church.