POPE Francis has died at the age of 88, the Vatican has announced.
The pontiff, who was Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church, became pope in 2013 after his predecessor Benedict XVI resigned.
Vatican camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell said on Monday: “At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized.
“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 God, One and Tribune.”
The process for choosing a new pope - conclave - generally takes place between 15 and 20 days after the death of a pontiff.
In recent years, his papacy had been marked by several hospital visits and concerns about his health.
In the days that followed, the Vatican said he had been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia and that he had blood transfusions after tests revealed he had low levels of platelets in his blood, which is associated with anaemia.
On February 22, it said the Pope was in a critical condition after a "prolonged respiratory crisis" that required a high flow of oxygen, and the next day the Vatican said Francis was showing an "initial, mild" kidney failure.
In the following days, thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter's Square to pray for his recovery, as others went to the Rome hospital where he was staying to leave flowers and cards.
He remained in hospital for the rest of the month, with doctors saying that his condition remained "complex".
On March 6, his voice was heard for the first time since being admitted to hospital in an audio message, in which he thanked well-wishers, before adding: "I am with you from here."
On Sunday, he greeted crowds at the Easter Sunday Service, a day after meeting US vice president JD Vance.
His 38-day hospital stay ended on March 23 when he made his first public appearance in five weeks on a balcony at Gemelli where he smiled and gave a thumbs up to the crowds gathered outside.
Doctors said Francis would have access to supplemental oxygen and 24-hour medical care as needed - adding that while the pneumonia infection had been successfully treated, the pontiff would continue to take oral medication for quite some time to treat the fungal infection in his lungs and continue his respiratory and physical physiotherapy.
Pope Francis dies aged 88
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis was the son of Italian immigrants.
As a child, he suffered from a severe case of pleurisy, which required part of one of his lungs to be removed.
Keen for education, he studied philosophy and theology at the Archdiocesan Seminary of Buenos Aires where he earned his doctorate in theology.
Aged 33, he became an ordained priest before later serving as the Rector of the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of San Miguel.
In 1992, he was appointed the Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires before later becoming the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998.
A few years later in 1991, Pope John Paul II elevated Pope Francis to a Cardinal.
In 2013, he was elected the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
Pope Francis took on the name Francis in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi and became the first Pope from Southern America.
