Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has died aged 88, the Vatican announced on Easter Monday.

“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, said in a statement.

The pontiff had been diminished by a series of health issues in recent years and was using a wheelchair for some of his recent public appearances. In February 2025, he was hospitalized with severe bronchitis and pneumonia in both lungs.

It was one in a long line of health problems for the pope, who had part of a lung removed as a young man and has become increasingly frail over the years. He underwent two major intestinal surgeries in recent years: in 2021, to remove the left part of his colon; and again to treat an intestinal blockage in June 2023.

For the latter procedure, Francis spent nine days in a Rome hospital and was filmed saying “I’m alive” while being escorted out of the hospital in a wheelchair, surrounded by reporters.

Francis, who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, was the first Jesuit pope and the first native of Latin America.

His liberal views marked a noticeable break from more conservative predecessors and at times sparked pushback from Vatican hard-liners.

But his legacy is also one of complexities, compromises and contradictions, reflecting his often-difficult position as a progressive reformer in a conservative global institution.