Pope Francis dies, aged 88

VATICAN: Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday (Apr 21).

He was 88 and had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia. 

"Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis," Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican's TV channel.

"At 7.35am this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father." 

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 to Italian immigrants from Argentina, he became head of the Catholic Church in March 2013. 

He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his "psychological health".

He inherited a Church that was under attack over a child sex abuse scandal and torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy, and was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.

But as his papacy progressed, he faced fierce criticism from conservatives, who accused him of trashing cherished traditions. He also drew the ire of progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2,000-year-old Church.

While he struggled with internal dissent, Pope Francis became a global superstar, drawing huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he tirelessly promoted interfaith dialogue and peace, taking the side of the marginalised, such as migrants.

Despite several health troubles, he remained an active pontiff, with a busy weekly schedule and regular overseas trips.

In September 2024, he completed a four-nation Asia-Pacific tour, including Singapore, the longest of his papacy by duration and distance.

Leaders across the world reacted to the pope's death with praise for his efforts to reform the worldwide church and offering condolences to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

"He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Jose Ramos-Horta, the president of Timor-Leste, where Pope Francis had visited in September 2024 as part of the longest foreign trip of his papacy, said the pope "leaves behind a profound legacy of humanity, of justice, of human fraternity".

US Vice President JD Vance, who met the pope the day before his death, said his "heart goes out" to Christians all over the world who loved him. 

"I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill," said the Catholic convert on X.

Britain's King Charles said he was "most deeply saddened" about the death of Pope Francis, sending his "most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve".

Charles, the head of the Church of England which split from Rome in 1534, and his wife Queen Camilla met Pope Francis in the Vatican earlier this month.

His death sets in motion centuries-old traditions that will culminate in the gathering of a conclave of cardinals to choose a successor.

In the meantime, the day-to-day running of the tiny Vatican City state will be handled by the camerlengo, a senior cardinal, currently Dublin-born Kevin Farrell.

Pope Francis appointed nearly 80 per cent of the cardinal electors who will choose the next pope, increasing the possibility that his successor will continue his progressive policies.

HOSPITALISED FOR FIVE WEEKS

Pope Francis' death comes a day after he had made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged on Mar 23 from a 38-day hospital stay for pneumonia.

On Easter Sunday, the pope entered St Peter's Square in an open-air popemobile shortly after midday, greeting cheering crowds. He had also offered a special blessing for the first time since Christmas.

The Argentine pontiff had been recovering at the Santa Marta guesthouse. He was hospitalised for five weeks earlier this year with life-threatening pneumonia. While in hospital, he almost died twice.

The double pneumonia damaged his lungs and strained his respiratory muscles, doctors said. After being discharged, he returned to the Vatican for a convalescence of at least two months. 

In early April, the Vatican said a chest X-ray confirmed a "slight improvement" in Pope Francis' lungs and improvements were also reported in his motor skills, voice and breathing. 

Although he had continued to use oxygen through a cannula, the pope had been able to remove it for short periods. The pope had issued statements, including one on Mar 16, acknowledging his fragile health. 

On the day he left the Gemelli, he appeared in a wheelchair on a hospital balcony, waving his hands from his lap to the hundreds of pilgrims gathered below to greet him.

He spoke a few words in a weak voice, saying through a microphone: "Thank you, everyone."

Pope Francis' desire to chart a different path was evident right to the end, with his decision to be buried not in St Peter's Basilica but in Rome's Santa Maria Maggiore basilica.

He will become the first pope in more than 100 years to be laid to rest outside the Vatican.

Pope Francis also rejected the tradition of popes having three coffins, instead choosing to be buried in just one, made of wood and zinc, to reflect his role as a humble pastor.