Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at the age of 88, the Vatican announced.
“This morning at 07:35 local time (05:35 GMT), the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a statement released by the Vatican on its Telegram channel.
His death comes after he appeared in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, wishing thousands of worshippers a “Happy Easter.”
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, was released from the hospital last month after undergoing five weeks of treatment for an infection that caused double pneumonia.
World leaders’ tributes have been pouring in. French President Emmanuel Macron said Pope Francis was “always on the side of the most vulnerable,” and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said the pontiff was “in every way a man of the people.”
The Church will now be governed by its most senior officials, the College of Cardinals, until a new Pope is chosen. There are currently 252 Catholic cardinals, with 138 eligible to vote for the new Pope.
They will be summoned to the Vatican for a meeting, followed by the election, known as the conclave.
The Pope’s health had deteriorated in recent months, with a five-week hospital stay due to pneumonia in both lungs.
According to one of his doctors, he experienced “two very critical episodes” while in the hospital, during which his “life was in danger.”
He has had a number of health issues throughout his life, including having a portion of one of his lungs removed at the age of 21, which makes him more susceptible to infections.
