Pope Francis — the 266th pope within the Catholic Church’s historical past — has died … the Vatican confirms.

“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His complete life was devoted to the service of the Lord and His Church,” Cardinal Kevin Ferrell stated in an announcement on Monday.

Stories started to floor on the finish of February that the pontiff was getting ready for dying after he was hospitalized with double pneumonia earlier within the month. He was additionally being handled for bronchitis on the time.

Quite a few dignitaries visited him within the hospital whereas he was recovering … together with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who stated the pope was as “alert and reactive” as all the time

Francis had struggled together with his well being lately. Bear in mind … in March 2023, the pontiff was admitted to the Gemelli Hospital for a respiratory an infection, and he wound up staying for a number of days to obtain therapy. As a youthful man, Francis had a part of one lung eliminated after he got here down with pleurisy, an irritation of chest membranes often attributable to an an infection.

On the time, the Vatican stated Pope Francis had been complaining about respiration difficulties within the days main as much as his hospitalization, however he didn’t have COVID. Coronary heart issues and pneumonia had been reportedly dominated out from testing, as soon as on the hospital.

In June of that 12 months, Pope Francis was laid up in a hospital mattress for 9 days after having abdomen surgical procedure.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina … Pope Francis assumed the position in 2013 and instituted a sequence of reforms, which embody a brand new structure.

Throughout his tenure, he was often called a prime theologian within the Catholic church … distinguishing himself with extra liberal views than his predecessor Pope Benedict. He made headlines for his assist of homosexual rights and even authorized protections for same-sex {couples}, regardless of there being some discrepancies when it got here to marriage.

PF turned the primary pope to be a member of the Jesuits, the primary from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere. He was additionally the primary pope from outdoors Europe because the eighth century.

He was 88.