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Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, has died aged 88, known for his humility, advocacy for the poor, and efforts to modernise the Catholic Church.
Francis, who lived with chronic lung disease after losing part of a lung in his youth, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on 14 February with a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
He spent 38 days in hospital, marking the longest stay of his 12-year papacy.
On Easter Sunday, just a day before his death, he appeared in St Peter’s Square to bless thousands and delighted crowds with a ride through the piazza in his popemobile.
