Vatican City, Apr 21: The first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church Pope Francis died at the age of 88 after a prolonged illness, the Vatican announced in a video statement on Monday.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell said, “This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT), the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” in a message shared on the Vatican's Telegram channel.
Pope Francis, who became pope in 2013 after Benedict XVI stepped down, had been dealing with several health problems during his 12-year papacy.
Just a day before his death, during his Easter Sunday message, he called for freedom of thought, religion, and respect for others' opinions.
He also spoke out against rising anti-Semitism and the crisis in Gaza.
After greeting over 35,000 people from the basilica's balcony, he handed over the reading of the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" blessing to a fellow priest.
Notably, he had been released from the hospital on March 23 after five weeks of treatment for pneumonia.
For the first time since becoming pope, he missed most of the Holy Week events, including the Good Friday procession at the Colosseum and the Easter Vigil, delegating these to other church leaders.
It is worth mentioning that Francis, born in Argentina, was the first pope from the Americas and the first in over 100 years to live outside the Vatican’s official palace.
Known for never taking holidays, he kept a busy schedule despite his age and doctors’ advice to slow down.
