Pope Francis is dead, the Vatican announced early Monday morning in Rome. He was 88 years old.
The first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic faithful directed the Catholic Church for 12 years, after being elevated to the role in March 2013 after the historical resignation of its prosecutor Papa Benedict XVI.
FILE/newly chosen Pope Francis I APPARAR IN THE CENTRAL BALCON OF THE BASILICA DE SAN PEDRO ON MARCH 13, 2013 IN THE CITY OF THE VATICAN, VATICAN. Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was chosen as Pontiff 266 (Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis through Getty Images)
Francis recently left the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where he was admitted on February 14 after having breathing difficulties. A severe episode of double pneumonia was diagnosed as the cause.
He died at his residence in the Santa Marta del Vatican house.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with deep sadness that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francisco,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican television channel through control.
Such has been the poor health experienced by the octogenarian of recent times, for the first time since it became Pope in 2013, most of the recent events of Holy Week have been lost.
Even so, Pope Francis had worked until the end when he could and made a surprise appearance for the blessings of Easter Sunday in the Plaza de San Pedro del Vaticano, as Breitbart News reported.
The late Pope, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, left his mark in several ways.
Francis was the first Jesuit Pope, the first Pope of the Americas, the first of the southern hemisphere and the first non -European pontiff from Pope Gregory III, more than 1000 years before.
File/Pope Francis leads a prayer meeting with families in St. Peter’s Square on October 26, 2013 in the city of the Vatican, Vatican. (Franco Origlia/Getty images)
His death triggers the beginning of the solemn, but considered the process to choose a replacement.
It begins with the official duel period, then the papal funeral in the next few days and ends with a column of white smoke that emanates from the Sistine Chapel to announce that it is the successor that has chosen bone.
Pope Francis will be buried in the Basilica of Santa María Maggiore in the Esquilino neighborhood of Rome.
More to come …
