Pope Francis has died at the age of 88.
The Pope who was Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church, reportedly died at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta at 7:35 a.m. this morning.
His death comes a day after he made an appearance at St Peter’s Square to wish thousands of worshippers Happy Easter.
Francis, who was born December 17, 1936, ushered in a new era of leadership in the Roman Catholic Church when he was elected pope in 2013.
Despite several previous health issues and reduced mobility caused in part by his advancing years and expanding waistline, Francis had kept up a busy schedule until his final weeks.
In September 2024, he carried out a 12-day tour across south-east Asia and Oceania that included visits to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Singapore.
Francis, who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, will be remembered for his comparatively liberal attitudes on some subjects that made him both popular and controversial.
He expressed tolerance towards divorcees, allowed priests to bless same-sex couples under certain circumstances, and put concern for the environment at the heart of his papacy.
And he said in 2023 that transgender people could be baptised as long as it did not cause a scandal or ‘confusion’.
But he did stand firm on the subject of abortion. In a text signed by Francis that was released by the Vatican last year, terminations were described as ‘an extremely dangerous crisis of the moral sense’.
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