Pope Francis Dies At 88, Day After Celebrating Easter

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor, has died, the Vatican announced on Monday. He was 88. The pope had suffered various ailments in his 12-year papacy and had survived a serious bout of double pneumonia recently.

"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 7:35 (5:35 GMT) this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father...His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church."

He died just a day after he delighted the crowds of worshippers at the Vatican on Easter Sunday with an appearance on the balcony at Saint Peter's Basilica. The pontiff had become pope in 2013 after his predecessor, Benedict XVI, resigned.

The Pope was admitted to the hospital for bronchitis treatment on February 14. In the days that followed, the Vatican said the Pope was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia and was in a "critical condition" and was showing "initial, mild" signs of kidney failure. But his condition improved over the course of five weeks, and on March 23, he made his first public appearance in over a month on a balcony of the hospital and gave a thumbs-up to the crowds gathered outside.

He returned to the Vatican later to begin two months of prescribed rest and recovery. On April 19, the Pope met US Vice President JD Vance. A day later, he greeted crowds at the Easter Sunday Service.

Pope Francis will be the first pope in more than 100 years to be laid to rest outside the Vatican. He had wished to be buried not in St Peter's Basilica but in Rome's Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica. He 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.