Catholic Pope Francis has died at after a protracted illness. He was 88.
Vatican news said he died on Monday morning (about 7.35 a.m.) at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.
“At 7:35 this morning (local time), the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church.
“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,” His Eminence, Cardinal Farrell, announced in a statement.
Farrell added, “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.”
Francis died a day after the Easter Sunday when Christians across the wold celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
An aide, Cardinal Angelo Comastri, read the Pope’s traditional Easter address at the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square while he sat watching.
Francis, an Argentine, was born on December 17, 1936. His full name is Jorge Marlo Bergoglio.
He became the Catholic pope and head of the Vatican City State in 2013, after Pope Benedict resigned from office. Benedict, a German, who was in office between 2005 and 2013, died on 31 December 2022 at 95.
Francis is the first pope from the Society of Jesus, the first from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere.
He had suffered from health complications in recent years. He had surgeries twice in 2021 and 2023 just as he has a longstanding knee problem that made him use a wheelchair.
In 2023, the Catholic head spent three nights in hospital. In February this year, he was admitted at Agostino Polyclinic Hospital in Rome for bronchitis and “diagnostic tests,” but later developed pneumonia.
On March 23, the pope was discharged from the hospital after five weeks of being treated for pneumonia complication.