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

"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.