Monday 21 / April / 2025
Pope Francis has died a day after making an appearance at Saint Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, the Vatican said in a statement.
"This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father," said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in the statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel.
Pope Francis will be remembered as a pope like no other. He was the first from Latin America and was known as a controversial reformer.
His message was "I am one of you," characterized the modesty of his pontificate.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the son of Italian immigrants in Argentina. He trained as a chemical engineer before studying theology.
He was first ordained as a priest in 1969 and became archbishop of Buenos Aires 30 years later.
As pope, he supported peace negotiations in Colombia and the Central African Republic, played a role in thawing relations between Cuba and the United States, and prayed for peace at significant sights in the Middle East.
Of US President Donald Trump he said: "A person who only thinks about making walls again and again, and not making bridges, is not a Christian."
Francis met with US President JD Vance on Sunday.
He saw himself as an advocate for those without a voice. He visited refugee camps during the migration crisis when xenophobia reached new heights in Europe. He welcomed migrants to the Vatican and prayed for the thousands who perished in the Mediterranean.
But his tenure was not without controversy. He faced criticism for not speaking out against Argentina's military dictatorship in the 1970s and for his handling of sex abuse scandals in the Catholic Church.
But it is as a man of the people that he will be remembered. His humble nature gave him a popularity like no other pontiff before him -- not just among his church followers but around the world.
