Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died aged 88
He died of stroke and subsequent irreversible heart failure, the Vatican says in a statement
Calm descended on St Peter's Square as hundreds gathered in prayer for the late Pope, our reporter at the Vatican writes
The pontiff's death has prompted an outpouring of grief from Catholics across the globe. From South Sudan to Argentina, Poland to the Philippines, the BBC reports from across five continents
The Vatican confirmed the pontiff died at 07:35 local time on Monday; he was recently discharged from hospital after weeks of treatment for an infection
What happens next? We look at the papal funeral and the election of a new pope
Watch: The world reacts to the death of Pope Francis
Image source, Getty ImagesUS President Donald Trump visited the Pope in 2017
"Rest in Peace, Pope Francis," the White House writes in a post on X.
The message is shared alongside two pictures. One of the pontiff meeting US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania, and another from Vice-President JD Vance's visit to the Vatican yesterday.
Image source, Getty ImagesConservative leader Kemi Badenoch met the Pope in 2022
The leaders of UK political parties have praised Pope Francis's courage and leadership.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pays tribute to the pontiff's "humility, courage and conviction".
Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, calls Pope Francis a "leader of compassion and courage".
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says his "sympathies go out to all in the Catholic Church".
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay praises the Pope's "commitment to addressing both the climate crisis and poverty around the world".
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan praises the late Pope's "example of compassionate leadership".
Scottish First Minister John Swinney says the Pope "brought comfort, assurance and hope".
We haven't heard from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer or King Charles III yet, but we'll let you know as soon as we do.
Image source, EPAIn the final months of his life, the Pope's ill-health saw him spend several weeks in hospital.
On 14 February, the 88-year-old was taken to the Gemelli hospital in Rome to be treated for pneumonia in both lungs. He had experienced difficulties breathing for several days.
He was discharged from hospital on 23 March.
The pontiff was particularly susceptible to pneumonia, which is an infection of the lungs that can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi, after undergoing a partial lung removal as a young man.
Image source, Getty ImagesUS Vice-President JD Vance had a brief meeting Pope Francis yesterday
US Vice-President JD Vance - who had a brief private meeting with Pope Francis yesterday - says he has just learned of the pontiff's passing.
"My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him," he says.
Vance arrived in Rome on Friday, before meeting with Vatican officials and Pope Francis over the weekend.
Image source, ReutersUrsula von der Leyen, chief of the European Commission, says her thoughts are with all who feel this profound loss
Tributes to Pope Francis continue to pour in from world leaders:
Image source, ReutersPope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 17 December 1936.
The eldest of five children, his parents had fled their native Italy to escape the evils of fascism.
He enjoyed tango dancing and became a supporter of his local football club, San Lorenzo.
He was lucky to escape with his life after a serious bout of pneumonia, undergoing an operation to remove part of a lung. It would leave him susceptible to infection throughout his life.
As an elderly man he also suffered from pain in his right knee, which he described as a "physical humiliation".
The young Bergoglio worked as a nightclub bouncer and floor sweeper, before graduating as a chemist.
At a local factory, he worked closely with Esther Ballestrino, who had campaigned against Argentina's military dictatorship. She was tortured, and her body was never found.
He became a Jesuit, studied philosophy and taught literature and psychology. Ordained a decade later, he won swift promotion, becoming the Catholic Church's provincial superior for Argentina in 1973.
Image source, Getty ImagesMore reaction from world leaders now, as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hails Pope Francis's commitment to the "most vulnerable".
In a post on the social media platform X, Sanchez writes: "I mourn the passing of Pope Francis. His commitment to peace, social justice, and the most vulnerable leaves a profound legacy. Rest in peace."
Image source, Getty ImagesItalian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says "this news saddens us deeply".
"I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship," she says in a statement.
"He asked the world, once again, for the courage to change direction, to follow a path that 'does not destroy, but cultivates, repairs, protects'", she adds.
"His teaching and his legacy will not be lost. We greet the Holy Father with hearts full of sadness, but we know that he is now in the peace of the Lord."
Image source, ReutersPope Francis' Easter Sunday message was one of peace and "respect for the views of others".
An aide read on his behalf:
Quote MessageThere can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression."
In his final address, the pontiff remembered the people of Gaza, in particular its Christian population, as the conflict "causes death and destruction" and creates a "deplorable humanitarian situation". He also called growing global antisemitism "worrisome".
"What a great thirst for death, for killing we see in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world," he said.
"I express my closeness to the sufferings... for all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people," the message said. "Call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace."
The Pope also encouraged all parties involved in the war in Ukraine to "pursue efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace".
Image source, Getty ImagesArchbishop of York Stephen Cottrell - who is the acting head of the Church of England - has paid tribute to Pope Francis.
In a statement, the archbishop commends "Francis’s service of the poor, his love of neighbour especially the displaced, migrant, the asylum seeker, his deep compassion for the well-being of the earth and his desire to lead and build the church in new ways."
"Francis showed us how to follow Jesus and encouraged us to go and do likewise... in their humility and focus on those in the margins, those actions, his whole life, was instantly recognisable as those of one who followed Jesus."
Archbishop Cottrell also refers to Pope Francis's work to resolve religious differences, saying he had been "acutely aware of the divisions between our churches and how they stand in the way of seeing Jesus Christ more fully".
And he paid tribute to his character, describing him as a "holy man of God" who was "also very human".
"I remember, in the brief times I spent with him, how this holy man of God was also very human. He was witty, lively, good to be with, and the warmth of his personality and interest in others shone out from him. May he rest in peace and rise in glory," he says.
Image source, ReutersThe pontiff's death follows one of the most important events in the calendar for Catholics - Easter Sunday - but also falls in a special jubilee year, which comes around only once every 25 years.
The jubilee was kicked off by the Pope on 24 December, when he opened the usually bricked-up Holy Door at St Peter's Basilica.
Millions of pilgrims then descend on the Vatican, to pass through the doorway and seek forgiveness for their sins.
In this jubilee year, tens of thousands of Catholics had gathered in Rome for this weekend's Easter Mass.
The BBC's religion editor, Aleem Maqbool, takes us through the life of the late Pope Francis in this short, 90-second video:
Pope Francis: The bouncer who became pontiff
Tributes for Pope Francis are pouring in now:
Image source, EPAThe French president is pictured here meeting the Pope in 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron is among the first world leaders to pay tribute to Pope Francis, calling him a "man of humility, on the side of the most vulnerable and most fragile".
Watch: Pope Francis wishes the faithful a "happy Easter" to applause from Vatican crowds
The Pope's death comes less than 24 hours after he made an appearance at the Vatican's St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday.
He came out in a wheelchair and waved from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica to cheering crowds, wishing those gathered a "happy Easter".
Image source, ReutersHis traditional Easter address and blessing was read by an aide while he sat, watching.
Following the blessing, Pope Francis was driven around the square. As he passed through the crowds, his procession paused a number of times as babies were brought over for him to bless.
Image source, Getty Images
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A papal funeral has traditionally been an elaborate affair, but Pope Francis recently approved plans to make the whole procedure less complex.
Previous pontiffs were buried in three nested coffins made of cypress, lead and oak.
Pope Francis has opted for a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc.
He has also scrapped the tradition of placing the Pope's body on a raised platform - known as a catafalque - in St Peter's Basilica 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 also be the first Pope in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican.
He will be laid to rest in the Basilica of St Mary Major, one of four major papal basilicas in Rome.
Image source, ReutersFrancis's papacy heralded many firsts and, while he never stopped introducing reforms to the Catholic Church, he remained popular among traditionalists.
He was the first Pope to come from the Americas, or from the southern hemisphere. Not since Syrian-born Gregory III died in 741 had there been a non-European Bishop of Rome.
He was also the first Jesuit to be elected to the throne of St Peter - Jesuits were historically looked on with suspicion by Rome.
Francis's predecessor, Benedict XVI, was the first Pope to retire voluntarily in almost 600 years and for almost a decade the Vatican Gardens hosted two popes.
As Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina, he was already in his seventies when he became Pope in 2013.
A short while ago, His Eminence, Cardinal Farrell, announced the death of Pope Francis with these words: “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis."
Quote MessageAt 7:35 this morning (local time), the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church."
"He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised."
Farrell adds: "With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, 21 April 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta building.
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