The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, has passed away at the age of 88.
Pope, who was elected in March 2013, led the Catholic Church for 12 years before his demise on Monday.
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The news comes hours after the Pope met with the United States Vice President, JD Vance. Pope Francis also appeared in front of crowds in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.
Recall that Francis recently left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he was admitted on February 14 after having difficulty breathing.
The Vatican later disclosed that he was suffering from a complex respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia, which can inflame and scar both lungs and make breathing more difficult.
Pope Francis, who was the first pope from the Society of Jesus and the first from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, succeeded Pope Benedict XVI following his (Benedict) historic resignation.
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