Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the first pontiff from Latin America, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican has confirmed.
The Holy See announced in a video statement that the Pope passed away at 07:35 local time (05:35 GMT) on Monday morning. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, speaking on behalf of the Vatican, said the pontiff died peacefully following a period of deteriorating health.
Francis had faced a number of health challenges in recent years and had recently been hospitalised for five weeks due to complications from double pneumonia.
His final public appearance came just a day before his death, when he briefly addressed thousands of Catholic faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square for Easter Sunday mass.
Elected in 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the 266th Pope and was widely seen as a reformer during his 12-year papacy. He was also the first Jesuit to lead the Catholic Church and the first non-European pontiff in over 1,200 years.
World leaders and religious figures have begun expressing condolences, praising his efforts to bridge divides within the Church and reach out to the marginalised.
