BREAKING: Pope Francis, an Argentine who brought reforms to the Catholic Church, dies at 88
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Toward the end of his life, Francis suffered a number of health issues, which often forced him to rely on a wheelchair or canes.
He had been discharged from the hospital last month after not been seen in public for more than five weeks. At times, the pope had required high-flow oxygen therapy, according to the Vatican, and his changing health status captivated the world’s attention.
That recent hospitalization wasn’t Pope Francis’ first serious health challenge. In 2021, he underwent surgery for diverticulitis, a gastrointestinal condition, and again in 2023 for a hernia.
In January 2024, he appeared in a sling after injuring his right forearm in a fall at his residence. The Vatican confirmed that no bones were broken, but the tumble came weeks after the pontiff bruised his face in another fall in December, according to Reuters.
Reporting from ROME
Pilgrims who have made the trip to the Vatican on Easter Monday, some to express love and support for Pope Francis, were only slowly learning about the news of his death this morning.
One group was praying for him in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican this morning, while smiling and taking selfies — they didn’t seem to realize that the Pope has died.
To some, the Pope had looked in better shape in his unplanned appearance yesterday, as he was without the oxygen tubes he had relied on to breath after his recent hospitalization.
Crowds have begun to build at St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican this morning, with mourners gathering to offer their prayers following news of Pope Francis’ death.
Condolences over the death of Pope Francis are pouring in from world leaders.
“The death of Pope Francis fills me with great sadness,” Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, said in a post on X, adding, “Francis will be remembered for his tireless commitment to the weakest in society, to justice and reconciliation. Humility and faith in God’s mercy guided him in this.”
In Israel, President Isaac Herzog sent his “deepest condolences to the Christian world and especially the Christian communities in Israel — the Holy Land — on the loss of their great spiritual father, His Holiness Pope Francis,” in a post on X, adding, “I truly hope that his prayers for peace in the Middle East and for the safe return of the hostages will soon be answered.”
In Iran, the foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also offered his condolences to Christians all over the world, according to Iranian state news agency Fars News.
Pope Francis, a reformer from Argentina who rattled the Catholic Church’s traditionalists and inspired progressives by reaching out to gay people and championing the rights of immigrants and the poor, has died, the Vatican announced.
He was 88.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced the Pope’s death in a statement released by the Vatican during the early hours of Monday.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” the Cardinal said.
Read full story here.
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