Vatican announces death of Pope Francis aged 88

Pope Francis’ death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement released by the Vatican. He said: "Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.

"At 7.35am 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. 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.

"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."

Elected as the 266th pope in March 2013, Francis made history as the first Jesuit, the first Latin American, and the first non-European pontiff in over a millennium. His papacy was characterised by a commitment to humility, social justice, and reform within the Catholic Church. He chose to reside in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta rather than the traditional Apostolic Palace, emphasising simplicity and accessibility. ​

He will be the first Pope in more than a Century to be buried outside the Vatican, with plans for his funeral confirmed in recent weeks. Instead, he will be laid to rest in the Basilica of St Mary Major, one of four major papal basilicas in Rome.

In February 2025, Pope Francis was hospitalised at Rome's Gemelli Hospital due to a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. His condition was critical, and he required intensive medical treatment, including high-flow oxygen therapy and blood transfusions . Despite these challenges, he made a brief public appearance on Easter Sunday yesterday, blessing the crowds from a hospital balcony.

French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Pope Francis, calling him a "man of humility, on the side of the most vulnerable and most fragile".

Pope Francis’ last public appearance was when he waved from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica to cheering crowds below, saying: "Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter."

The Pope's Easter blessing, delivered by a clergy member as the pontiff sat beside him, said: "There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others. What a great thirst for death, for killing we see in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world."

Pope Francis become leader of the Catholic Church in 2013. An Argentinian priest known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he was the first ever Pope from the Americas or the southern hemisphere and the first from outside Europe in centuries.

Born on 17 December 1936 in the Flores district of Buenos Aires, the eldest of five children in a middle class family of Italian immigrants. After leaving school, he qualified as a chemical technician going on to take a job in the food processing industry.

At the age of 21 he underwent surgery to have part of one of his lungs removed thanks to a severe bout of pleurisy which was to leave him vulnerable to the winter weather. It was around that time that he felt his vocation, which hit him when he stopped off at church on his way to join friends to celebrate a holiday.

“It surprised me, caught me with my guard down,” he later recalled.

He entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1958 and, after studying humanities, philosophy and theology in Chile and Argentina, was ordained a priest in 1969.

He sought to breathe new life into the church he had served for more than half a century - after time as a nightclub bouncer and a janitor before being called to the priesthood.

Reacting to the news, King Charles has released a statement, saying: "My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis. Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry.

"His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others. His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world.

"Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many. The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month.

"We send our most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve and to the countless people around the world who, inspired by his life, will be mourning the devastating loss of this faithful follower of Jesus Christ."

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and Archbishop of Westminster, said: “The death of Pope Francis brings great sadness to so many around the world, both within the Catholic Church and in societies in general.A voice proclaiming the innate dignity of every human being, especially those who are poor or marginalised, is now silent. The legacy he leaves is one we must seek to carry forward and strengthen.Pope Francis was called to priesthood through his experience of the mercy and compassion of God.

“This remained the core of his ministry, as Priest, Bishop and Pontiff. Only in understanding the love and mercy of God towards each one of us can we fashion societies and communities that bear the mark of the 'kingdom of God'.This same focus and emphasis lay at this desire to see membership of the Church as being rooted in 'missionary discipleship', a dynamic and powerful vision for every Christian and every community.Now we pray for the repose of his soul, that he may know, in full measure, the merciful and loving embrace of the Father, of the one God to whom he gave his life in unstinting service. May he now rest in peace and rise in glory.”

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said: “Francis’s whole life and ministry was centred on Jesus who comes among us not to be served, but to serve. We saw that compellingly in 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.”

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney described the pontiff as “a voice for peace, tolerance and reconciliation”.

A statement from Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the Conference of European Rabbis, said: “Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt remembers Pope Francis’s unwavering dedication to promoting peace and goodwill worldwide. He also fondly recalls his many meetings with the Pope and his efforts to strengthen Catholic-Jewish relations, including their meeting at the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the 1965 Declaration of the Second Vatican Council that profoundly transformed interfaith dialogue.”

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: ““Pope Francis was a pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten. He was close to the realities of human fragility, meeting Christians around the world facing war, famine, persecution and poverty. Yet he never lost hope of a better world.”

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said: "I mourn the passing of Pope Francis. His commitment to peace, social justice, and the most vulnerable leaves a profound legacy. Rest in peace."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said: "this news saddens us deeply. I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship” adding "he asked the world, once again, for the courage to change direction, to follow a path that 'does not destroy, but cultivates, repairs, protects'. 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."

Sir Tony Blair, the former UK prime minister, who converted to Catholicism after leaving office, said: “Pope Francis was an extraordinary and devoted servant of the Catholic Church, admired both within and beyond it for his humility, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the Christian faith and the service of all humanity-Christian and non-Christian alike. Cherie and I are deeply saddened by his passing. May he rest in peace.”