Live updates on Pope Francis.
Pope Francis, whose time as head of the Catholic Church was noted for humility and outreach efforts to people of disparate backgrounds and faiths, has died at 88, the Vatican has confirmed.
Francis’ death on Monday comes after a series of worsening health problems, including a respiratory crisis that left him in critical condition in recent months. The Argentinian national was known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, when he was elected the Catholic Church’s 266th supreme pontiff — and the first ever from Latin America — on March 13, 2013, replacing the retiring Pope Benedict XVI.
Pope Francis, whose time as head of the Catholic Church was noted for an everyman humility and outreach efforts to people of disparate backgrounds and faiths, has died at 88, the Vatican has confirmed.
“At 7:35 this morning, 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”, Cardinal Kevin Farrell said on Monday.
Pope Francis was hospitalized for just over five weeks beginning in February 2025 to address what the Vatican initially said was a respiratory tract infection, for which he began receiving treatment. Four days after his hospitalization, the Vatican revealed that Francis had been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.
The White House on Monday issued a short statement, saying, “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis,” alongside photos of the pontiff meeting President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Trump met with Francis and the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on May 24, 2017, in Vatican City, according to the U.S. State Department.
Vance had a brief audience with the pope at the Vatican on Sunday, moments before Francis’ public appearance on the balcony on the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Pope Francis will be remembered as “a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage”, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday, as tributes for the pontiff continued.
“From a young age, he devoted himself towards realising the ideals of Lord Christ. He diligently served the poor and downtrodden”, Modi’s statement read in part.
He added, “For those who were suffering, he ignited a spirit of hope. I fondly recall my meetings with him and was greatly inspired by his commitment to inclusive and all-round development.
