Vatican announces death of Pope Francis aged 88

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.

The Vatican’s announcement of his death came just a day after he appeared in a wheelchair at St Peter’s Square to wish thousands of worshipers gathered there a “Happy Easter”.

Pope Francis was discharged from hospital last month after five weeks of treatment for an infection that led to double pneumonia.

Catholics around the world have been mourning his death and crowds of well-wishers have begun arriving at the Vatican.

Among those who have paid tribute to him was Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who praised him as “great man” and said she had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, advice and teachings.

King Charles, who met with the Pope privately earlier this month during his state visit to Italy, said in a statement that he was “deeply saddened” to hear of the Pope’s death.

“His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others.”

The news of the Pope’s death was announced by the Vatican in a statement.

“This morning at 07:35 local time (05:35 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in the statement, published by the Vatican.

“He taught us to live the values ​​of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised,” he continued.

“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”

The acting head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of York, described him as a “holy man of God” who was “also very human”.

“Francis’s whole life and ministry was centred on Jesus who comes among us not to be served, but to serve,” Stephen Cottrell said in a statement.

“Rest in peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!” US President Donald Trump wrote on social media.

Trump’s Vice-President, JD Vance, who met the Pope on Easter Sunday, said his “heart goes out” to Christians.

“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill,” he said.

The governing of the Catholic Church will now be handled by the College of Cardinals, its most senior officials, until a new Pope is chosen in an election known as conclave.

Later on Monday, Pope Francis’s body will be moved to the Chapel of Domus Sanctae Marthae, the guest house inside the Vatican where he had lived since becoming Pope, unlike his predecessors who lived in the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace.

At 20:00 (18:00 GMT), the cardinal whose task it is to handle the transition over the coming days, will preside over the confirmation of Francis’s death as well as the placing of his body in a coffin. That is the role of the camerlengo – Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell. He will be joined by the Dean of the college of cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and Francis’s family.

Pope Francis was last seen on Sunday in his wheelchair waving from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to cheering crowds.

“Dear brothers and sisters, happy Easter,” he said.

In his blessing, delivered by a clergy member, he said: “There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others.”

“What a great thirst for death, for killing we see in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world.”

The Pope had struggled with his health in recent months, having spent five weeks in hospital with pneumonia in both lungs.

During his time in hospital, he presented “two very critical episodes” where his “life was in danger”, according to one of his doctors.

He has suffered a number of health issues throughout his life, including having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21, making him more prone to infections.

Francis’s papacy heralded many firsts and while he never stopped introducing reforms to the Catholic Church, he remained popular among traditionalists

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, was the first non-European Pope in centuries, after Syrian-born Gregory III who died in 741.

He was also the first Jesuit to be elected to the throne of St Peter. Jesuits were historically looked on with suspicion by Rome.

Francis’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, was the first Pope to retire voluntarily in almost 600 years and for almost a decade the Vatican Gardens hosted two popes.

Pope Francis was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 17 December 1936. His parents had fled their native Italy to escape fascism. In his early life, he worked as a nightclub bouncer and floor sweeper, before graduating as a chemist.

Ahead of becoming the head of the Catholic Church in 2013, he presented himself as a compromise candidate by appealing to conservatives while attracting the reformers with his liberal stance on social justice.

His early actions as Pope included washing the feet of the elderly and prisoners and advocating for the rights of refugees and migrants.

But on many of the Church’s teachings, Pope Francis was a traditionalist. There were warm words in favour of some kind of same-sex unions for gay couples, but Francis did not favour calling it marriage. This, he said, would be “an attempt to destroy God’s plan”.

Shortly after becoming Pope, he took part in an anti-abortion march in Rome – calling for rights of the unborn “from the moment of conception”.