Pope Francis who was the First Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis is dead.
The Vatican has announced the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88.
The pontiff, who was Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church, became pope in 2013 after his predecessor Benedict XVI resigned.
His death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement released by the Vatican.
Pope Francis passed away at 6:35 am Nigerian time on Monday Morning, just a day after he was seen waving at thousands of Catholic faithful during the Easter Sunday service at The Vatican.
In a statement Cardinal Kevin Farrell said: “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.
“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 taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised.
“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”
Born in 1936, Francis was the first pope from South America. His papacy was marked by his championing of those escaping war and hunger, as well as those in poverty, earning him the moniker the “People’s Pope”.
In 2016, he washed the feet of refugees from different religions at an asylum centre outside Rome in a “gesture of humility and service”.
He also made his views known on a wide range of issues, from climate change to wealth inequality and the role of women in the Catholic Church.
His acceptance of the LGBTQ community was unprecedented – beginning with an unexpected remark to reporters on a flight back from Brazil about gay clergy.
He said: “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge them?”
The Pope’s original name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio and he previously served as a bishop in Buenos Aires. As a young man in his native Argentina, Francis had part of one lung removed.
In the last few years of his life, Francis needed a wheelchair or a cane to get around and limited his public speaking while struggling with bronchitis and flu.
Francis first spent time in hospital as pope in 2021 for an operation to remove part of his colon.
In June 2023 he was admitted to hospital for an operation on his intestine. At the time, the Vatican said he had been suffering “recurrent, painful and worsening” symptoms caused by an abdominal hernia. His recent health issues meant he was forced to miss significant events in the Roman Catholic calendar, including the traditional Good Friday procession at Rome’s Colosseum last year.
In 2022, he hinted he might step down if his health deteriorated after he was pictured using a wheelchair due to mobility issues caused by a flare-up of sciatica – a nerve condition that causes leg pain.
His predecessor, the late Benedict XVI, became the first pope to resign in more than 600 years in 2013 instead of serving for life, and died in 2022.
On February 14 this year, the Pope was admitted to hospital for bronchitis treatment. In the days that followed, the Vatican said he had been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia and that he had blood transfusions after tests revealed he had low levels of platelets in his blood, which is associated with anaemia.
On February 22, it said the Pope was in a critical condition after a “prolonged respiratory crisis” that required a high flow of oxygen, and the next day the Vatican said Francis was showing an “initial, mild” kidney failure.
In the following days, thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray for his recovery, as others went to the Rome hospital where he was staying to leave flowers and cards. He remained in hospital for the rest of the month, with doctors saying that his condition remained “complex”.
On March 6, his voice was heard for the first time since being admitted to hospital in an audio message, in which he
The United States Vice President, JD Vance was the last world leader to meet with Pope Francis at his Vatican residence on Sunday for brief meeting “in order to exchange good wishers on Easter day”.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
