Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died.
The Vatican confirmed that he died today, April 21, which is Easter Monday, at the age of 88.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a statement released by the Vatican during the early hours of Monday.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and the marginalised,” he added.
Francis’ body will be put on display in an open coffin in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, one of Christianity’s holiest sites, where pontiffs have been buried for more than 100 years. But following Francis’ wishes, he is expected to be buried at the ancient Basilica of St. Mary Major, which lies outside the Vatican walls.
Pope Francis’s papacy heralded many firsts and while he never stopped introducing reforms to the Catholic Church, he remained popular among traditionalists.
Not since Syrian-born Gregory III died in 741 had there been a non-European Bishop of Rome.
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.
As Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina, Francis was already in his seventies when he became Pope in 2013.
He had suffered various ailments in his 12-year papacy, with severe complications in recent weeks.
