Image source, Reuters

As our South America correspondent reports, gatherings are already taking shape in Buenos Aires as people come together to mourn the loss of Pope Francis.

Speaking to Reuters, Nicola Cordoba says it will "hurt the soul of the people that the Pope has died, honestly. It hurts me like crazy."

He adds that he appreciated the Pope's "words in support" of the gay community.

Agustin Hartridge says he is reacting with "a lot of sadness".

"Yesterday I saw him very poorly and I had faith and hope that he could do it.”

Ione Wells
South America correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has declared seven days of national mourning in Pope Francis’s home country, according to his spokesman.

Pope Francis was a source of immense pride for Argentina, where the majority of the population identify as Catholic, and the wider region.

He was the first pope from Latin America.

The Pope's death has already prompted gatherings in the capital Buenos Aires.

His focus on helping the poor and tackling economic inequality resonated in a country that has faced years of economic turmoil. Though, in the past, these views led to a strained relationship with President Milei due to ideological differences.

He provided a strong – and progressive – voice for the Catholic Church in Latin America, home to nearly 40% of the world’s Catholics, at a time when evangelical Protestantism is on the rise in the region.

He was named Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and then became Archbishop.

His supporters saw him as a strong voice for the Southern Hemisphere more widely, drawing attention to global inequality after centuries of European leadership of the Catholic Church.

His critics felt he failed to do enough to oppose Argentina’s brutal military dictatorship, a period where thousands of people were tortured, killed, or forcibly "disappeared" from 1976-1983.

Image source, Reuters

As the United States wakes up to news of Pope Francis's death, US presidents - both current and former - are sharing their tributes.

• President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: "Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!"
• Former President Joe Biden says the Pope was "unlike any who came before him" and would be remembered as among the most "consequential leaders of our time"
• Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama say he was a "rare leader who made us want to be better people" and "shook us out of our complacency"

Image source, Getty Images

Other senior members of Trump's administration shared their own statements:

• Vice-President JD Vance says his "heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world". He was one of the last people to meet the Pope when he made a visit to the Vatican yesterday
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he and his wife Jeanette are "saddened". "We unite in prayer with Catholics worldwide for the repose of the pontiff’s soul," he adds

Image source, Reuters

Yolande Knell
Reporting from Bethlehem

Palestinian Christians feel they have lost a "great friend" says Anton Salman, mayor of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

"He was one of the few leaders in the world who was supporting Palestinian rights and came running to achieve peace in the region," he tells me.

When the Pope visited the Holy Land in 2014, a defining image was his prayer for peace by the graffitied, concrete wall which blocks Bethlehem from Jerusalem - part of Israel’s West Bank barrier.

He went on to lead thousands of local Christians - part of a dwindling religious minority - in an open-air mass outside the Nativity Church, built on the spot where it is believed Jesus was born.

"It was really a very special day. Even I sang for him," says Roni Tabash, a local souvenir seller who has large pictures of the Pope on the shutters of his store. "He gave us hope, he always told us to have more faith, to resist, to continue, to stay here."

Many Palestinians praise Pope Francis for his regular calls to a priest in Gaza City at the Holy Family Catholic Church, as he checked on the well-being of some of the hundreds of Gazan Christians sheltering on site.

Recently the Pope had been increasingly vocal about Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, calling the situation there "dramatic and deplorable". In his last Easter message he called for a ceasefire, demanding that Hamas release remaining hostages as well as for aid of "starving people that aspires to a future of peace".

Mourners gathered in St Peter's Square - located outside St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican - have been sharing their tributes to the late pontiff with BBC reporter Sofia Bettiza.

"It was refreshing to see a man of his authority showing such care for the environment and the poor," one woman says.

A man adds: "Just yesterday he was here doing the mass. His death was kind of shocking so we decided to come to the Vatican to show respect. He spoke about gay marriage, which is very different from the Pope before."

"The most important thing he left behind" was teaching those inside and outside the Church to realise they could help each other, another man says.

Pope Francis' body could be moved to St Peter's Basilica as early as Wednesday, according to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni.

He says a group of cardinals will meet on Wednesday and make a formal decision, but if it goes ahead it would allow people to pay their respects.

Ione Wells
En route to Buenos Aires

Image source, Reuters

Argentina’s President Javier Milei has said he feels “profound sorrow” at the death of the Pope.

He said that “despite differences that seem minor today, having been able to know him in his kindness and wisdom was a true honour for me”.

Pope Francis did not return to Argentina during his papacy.

President Milei, a staunch libertarian who has introduced sweeping austerity measures, had clashed with the Pope in the past.

He had called the pontiff a socialist and insults including the devil’s representative on earth and an “imbecile”.

However, he softened his tone towards the Pope after taking office and relations improved.

Milei's government has announced seven days of national mourning.

There are an estimated 1.4 billion Catholics around the world and more than a quarter of them are in Latin America alone.

Here are some of the latest pictures we've been seeing as Pope Francis's followers hear the news of his passing.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Getty Images

United States President Donald Trump has posted a message on his Truth Social platform, marking the death of the Pope.

Ian Aikman
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

Tributes have been pouring in for Pope Francis from around the world.

The pontiff had been ill for several weeks, but appeared in public yesterday to give an Easter Sunday blessing in St Peter’s Square.

Yesterday, he also briefly met US Vice-President JD Vance, who shared his condolences this morning.

But if you’re just joining us, here’s what's been happening today:

Pope Francis dies aged 88

The Pope died at his Vatican residence at 07:35 CEST (06:35 BST), the Vatican said in a statement released at about 09:45 CEST.

World leaders pay tribute

There has been a flurry of tributes from global leaders, with King Charles III, the UK's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and a White House statement among a chorus of voices praising his leadership.

Mourners gather in the Vatican

Crowds are gathering outside St Peter's Basilica, in Vatican City, where one BBC reporter saw people crying in the street.

What happens next?

As we've been reporting, the Pope's funeral will be less elaborate than that of previous pontiffs, as he had recently approved plans to make the event much simpler.

Some 135 Catholic cardinals will vote for Pope Francis’s successor in an election – known as a conclave – which is held in secret inside the Sistine Chapel.

Tessa Wong and Virma Simonette
Asia Digital Reporter and Philippines producer

Image source, epa

In the Philippines, there has been a massive outpouring of emotion. Most of its population is Catholic - more than 85 million people - the biggest Catholic population in Asia, and third in the world after Brazil and Mexico.

The president of the Philippine Catholic Church, Cardinal Virgilio David, has asked all the parishes to ring their bells and to pray for Pope Francis. Easter Monday masses have been turned into mourning services.

One artist's image that's quickly gone viral on Philippine social media shows the Pope's zucchetto - his skullcap - hovering above his head and transforming into a halo., external

Many are sharing their memories of the Pope's visit in 2015, particularly to the typhoon-hit area of Tacloban, which was interrupted by storms.

"In sunshine or under the rain, he made us feel the love of God. The rains and our tears of joy were mixed, running down our cheeks," said Socrates B Villegas, the Archbishop of Lingayen and Dagupan.

Image source, Reuters

Pope Francis's funeral will look a little different to past ceremonies.

Proceedings will begin with the Vatican's highest-ranking cardinal, Kevin Farrell, presiding over the "rite of the confirmation of death" and placing the Pope's body in a coffin.

A papal funeral has traditionally been an elaborate affair, but Pope Francis recently approved plans to simplify the whole procedure.

The late pontiff opted for a basic wooden coffin, and scrapped the tradition of placing the Pope's body on a raised platform for public viewing.

Instead, mourners will be invited to pay their respects while his body remains inside the coffin, with the lid removed.

Francis will be laid to rest in the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome – the first time a Pope has been buried outside the Vatican in more than a Century.

Image source, Vatican press office

Image source, Getty Images

More tributes now from world leaders:

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa says Pope Francis had "humility" and a profound commitment to "making the Church and the world a better place".

Meanwhile Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calls the late Pope a "modernist", and says he was "a devoted champion and loving father" for Australian Catholics.

Bangladesh's interim government says Pope Francis was "a towering figure of moral clarity, humility, and compassion".

And Nigerian President Bola Tinubu hails him as a "trenchant voice" for climate action.

Image source, Vatican Media

Pope Francis made a number of public appearances after being discharged from hospital, where he had been treated for pneumonia, on 23 March:

• On 6 April he made a brief appearance in a wheelchair at the Vatican - his first since being discharged
• Three days later he had a private meeting with King Charles III and Queen Camilla
• He visited St Peter's Basilica on 10 April and was seen without his traditional papal attire
• Over the Easter period, he made a surprise visit on Holy Thursday to Regina Coeli prison in Rome, where he greeted inmates
• Two days later, on Holy Saturday, the Pope stopped unannounced to pray and greet some of the faithful at St Peter’s Basilica
• His final public appearance came on Easter Sunday, when he was welcomed at St Peter's Square by crowds and he wished people a happy Easter
• The same day he met US Vice-President JD Vance, who told the pontiff: "I pray for you every day"

Image source, Reuters

"We are all really shocked this morning," Maria, a Spanish tourist visiting Rome, tells the BBC.

"It's a bad loss for the Church," she continues, "but we are all really grateful for being here".

Maria says Pope Francis always encouraged young people to embrace the beliefs and values of the Church, which she feels has been very useful for them.

Asked what she believes the pontiff's legacy will be, Maria says: "I will remember the messages and quotes he has taught us."

You can follow more reaction from outside the Vatican by pressing Watch live at the top of this page.

Image source, Getty Images

We've been seeing tributes to the late Pope from across Africa, a continent with the world's fastest-growing Catholic population.

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed writes on X: "I extend my deepest condolences on the passing of Pope Francis... may his legacy of compassion, humility, and service to humanity continue to inspire generations to come."

Kenyan President William Ruto calls the Pope's passing a "big loss" to the Christian world, and praises Francis's "unwavering commitment to inclusivity and justice".

Since becoming Pope in 2013, Francis made multiple trips to Africa.

Yesterday, in his Easter message, he appealed for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and South Sudan.

Image source, Getty Images

The union flag will be flown at half-mast at royal residences where King Charles is not in residence, to mark the Pope's passing.

Sombre music will be played at the Changing the Guard ceremony to reflect "the sadness of the occasion", a royal source says.

A member of the Royal Family is expected to attend the Pope's funeral, if the Vatican is in agreement, but it is too early to say who will travel to pay their respects.

Image source, Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin remembers Pope Francis as a "defender of the highest values of humanism and justice", the Kremlin says.

It adds that Putin "had the privilege of communication with this outstanding man on many occasions".

The Russian president "will forever retain the fondest memory of him," the Kremlin says.

Image source, Volodymyr Zelensky/X

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has paid tribute to Pope Francis, saying:

Zelensky adds that the late Pope prayed for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians.

"We grieve together with Catholics and all Christians who looked to Pope Francis for spiritual support. Eternal memory!"

Sofia Bettiza
Reporting from the Vatican

The bells are ringing here in St Peter’s Square, announcing the death of Pope Francis.

A crowd of hundreds of thousands of people fell silent - the atmosphere is one of palpable shock and sadness.

We spoke to people from India, South Africa, Denmark and other countries who have gathered here - all have said what they will miss the most about the Pope is his effort to make the Catholic Church more inclusive.

Image source, Reuters