Pope Francis dies at 88, Vatican says in statement

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday.

Francis, 88, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital in Rome on Feb 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy.

"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.

Francis' death comes a day after the pope had made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged from hospital on March 23.

On Easter Sunday, Francis had 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.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, surprising many church watchers who had seen the Argentine cleric, known for his concern for the poor, as an outsider.

He inherited a church under attack over a child sex abuse scandal and torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy.

As his papacy progressed, he faced 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.

Francis appointed nearly 80 percent of the cardinal electors who will choose the next pope, increasing the possibility that his successor will continue his progressive policies, despite the strong pushback from traditionalists.

The bells at Paris' Notre-Dame cathedral rang out 88 times on Monday in honor of Pope Francis. The Italian soccer league postponed its games which were scheduled for Monday.

Some leaders have offered condolences to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Agencies via Xinhua