Key points
- Pope Francis has died aged 88 – watch a lookback on his life
- Tributes come in from around the world|King hails life of ‘devotion’
- Born in 1936 in Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the son of Italian immigrants
- The pontiff recently spent five weeks in Rome’s Gemelli hospital with bronchitis but recovered
- His last public appearance was for an Easter Sunday blessing in St Peter’s Square
- Francis took over from Benedict XVI, who became the first pontiff to resign from his post as a result of ill health in 2013
- Live reporting by Narbeh MinassianandJess Sharp
‘A wonderful legacy’: Pope Francis remembered in Ireland
By Stephen Murphy, Ireland correspondent
Massgoers in Dublin have been reflecting on the legacy of Pope Francis. One worshipper arriving at the St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral on Marlborough Street – the seat of the Archbishop of Dublin – said: “I think he was a pope for the people as they say, really going out to see the people and listen to them.”
Another woman, visiting from Australia, said that “while we knew he was sick, somehow you just hope it doesn’t happen, but obviously he was too sick to stay with us. He has left us a wonderful legacy, brought a lot of freedom to people, and we are very grateful for that.”
Mass was led by Fr Selva Thomas, who brought a photo of Pope Francis to the altar.
“I feel very sad on the one hand because he brought so much joy to the Church,” he said.
“But on the other hand I am also filled with that hope he brought, that he’s safely in the hands of God, he has no more pain, no more worries, no more suffering.”
Micheal Martin, the Irish prime minister, will speak to media later, but in a statement said the Church had lost “an exceptional leader.
Irish president Michael D Higgins has expressed “profound sadness”, saying Francis’s voice constituted a “consistent invocation of a shared humanity”.
Pope Francis will break tradition with his final resting place
The death of a pontiff kicks off a tightly choreographed series of events refined over centuries.
Pope Francis approved a stripped-down funeral for himself last year, breaking away from some traditions entirely.
After death, his body is blessed, dressed in papal vestments and exhibited in St Peter’s Basilica for public viewing.
This is where hundreds of thousands will come to pay their respects, including foreign dignitaries and world leaders.
In the past, the pope’s body was displayed on a raised platform, but Francis’s simplified funeral rites removed this. He will be lying in an open coffin instead, breaking from previous pageantry.
The simplification, according to the Vatican’s master of liturgical ceremonies, Diego Ravelli, is meant “to emphasise even more that the Roman pontiff’s funeral is that of a shepherd and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful man of this world”.
The pope’s funeral will most likely be held in St Peter’s Square, with mourners packing into the Vatican for the service. It will be led by the dean of the College of Cardinals, 91-year-old Italian Giovanni Battista Re.
Traditionally, the pope is then buried in the crypts beneath St Peter’s Basilica, where almost 100 popes are entombed.
But Francis will be the first pope in a century to be interred outside the Vatican.
He said in an interview in 2023 that he had picked the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in Rome, one of his favourite and most-frequented churches, as his final resting place.
Previous popes were then entombed in three coffins of cypress, zinc and elm nestled inside each other, but Francis ordered he be buried in a single coffin made of wood and zinc.
Watch: Live scenes from St Peter’s Square
Crowds are gathering in and around the Vatican, where the bells of St Peter’s Basilica have just rang out.
You can watch the latest scenes in the live stream below – hear the bells ring at about 11.10am (UK time).
Obituary: A pope of firsts, Francis was outspoken champion of the deprived – but left some feeling betrayed
By Siobhan Robbins, Europe correspondent and Rhiannon Mills, news correspondent
His arrival as pontiff heralded a new kind of leadership for the Catholic Church.
Described by some as the people’s pope, Pope Francis showed a willingness to welcome those who’d felt shunned by the Catholic faith, but as a reformer at heart, he also faced huge criticism from conservatives within the church.
The clash between the traditional and the liberal remains the greatest challenge to the legacy he leaves.
He was a pope of firsts: the first Latin American pontiff, the first Jesuit pope, the first to choose the name Francis.
Selected in just over a day by the papal conclave in March 2013, for some, the archbishop from Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was an unexpected choice.
The cardinals who chose him said he accepted the post with his trademark good humour.
“When the secretary of state toasted to him, he toasted back to us and said ‘I hope God forgives you’,” Cardinal Timothy M Dolan recalled at the time.
That sense of humour and his humility were characteristics which set him apart. He chose not to wear the more ostentatious papal clothing and turned down the traditional Vatican apartments for a more modest residence.
“Francis was not shy at all. He would always say funny things – crack a joke. He would also risk saying things that people in the first moment would be feeling as an insult, but then, when they looked at his cheeky face, they would also laugh,” remembered Professor Felix Koerner SJ, a theologian at Humboldt University in Berlin.
Born and raised in Buenos Aires, the son of Italian immigrants, after school he studied to become a scientist before being drawn to religion.
Spiritual leader to 1.4 billion Catholics, he was a symbolic figurehead on the world stage, meeting monarchs, presidents and prime ministers as he travelled the globe addressing huge crowds everywhere he went.
But while at ease in the presence of the rich and powerful, Pope Francis was never more comfortable than in the company of the poor.
Read on here:
Starmer hails pope’s ‘courage’ as UK leaders react
The prime minister has hailed the pope for his “courageous” leadership.
“Pope Francis was a pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten,” Sir Keir Starmer said.
“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.”
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, wrote on social media: “As the mayor to a city of more than one million Catholics, I want to express my sadness, and the sadness of all Londoners, at the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis.”
He described him as a “man of courage and humility” who demonstrated how “co-operation between faiths was a force for good”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch highlighted the pope’s “humility, courage, and conviction”.
“Pope Francis spent his final Easter yesterday bearing witness to the faith he devoted his life to – a quiet presence at a time when the world needed humility, courage, and conviction,” she said.
“He reminded us that leadership isn’t about power, but about service.”
Former prime minister Sir Tony Blair said the pope was admired “for his humility, compassion and unwavering commitment” to the Christian faith.
Meanwhile Justin Welby, the former archbishop of Canterbury, said the pope became his friend, adding he would “miss him deeply”.
“He was a pope who spoke not just to the Catholic church, but far beyond it,” he said.
“From the very first days of his papacy he was an example of humility.
“He constantly reminded us of the importance of serving the poor, always standing with those who faced persecution and hardship.”
Commentators ‘called for prayers’ after what became pope’s final appearance
The pope made his final appearance yesterday, greeting crowds and meeting people at the Vatican to celebrate Easter Sunday.
While thousands were excited to see him, some commentators noticed that he seemed to be unwell.
Ruth Gledhill, a journalist from the Tablet, a weekly Catholic journal, said some had “called for prayers”.
His death “came as a terrible shock though some commentators were noting yesterday that he didn’t look well”, she told Sky News.
“At least one called for prayers because he looked to be so fragile.”
Pope Francis had recently recovered from double pneumonia after being treated in hospital for five weeks.
“Even though he had been very ill, I think it was unexpected that he should go at this point,” Gledhill added.
“Today I think people were still very surprised that he died so suddenly.”
You can see his final public appearance below:
In pictures: The pope as a teenager
This photograph shows Pope Francis as a teenager in Buenos Aires.
He was born there in 1936 to his Italian parents Mario and Regina.
The image was previously made available by his family, but we are unsure of the date it was taken:
Here is another image of the pope with his family, including his mother, father and grandparents.
King pays tribute to pope for serving with ‘such devotion throughout his life’
Buckingham Palace has just issued a statement from the King, paying tribute to the pope.
The King and Queen met Pope Francis earlier this month, during a visit to Italy.
Buckingham Palace then posted the picture of the encounter with the words “che occasione speciale” – what a special occasion.
In his tribute released in the past few minutes, the King hailed the pope for touching “the lives of so many”.
Here is the statement in full:
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.
Watch: Vatican announces pope’s death
Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced the pope’s death earlier this morning in a video message.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” he said.
The Roman hospital that cared for Pope Francis during final weeks
Pope Francis had recently been treated for double pneumonia, spending five weeks in Rome’s biggest hospital, the Gemelli, before returning home on 23 March.
Opened in 1964, the hospital has become known as the “Pope’s Hospital”.
John Paull II even nicknamed it “Vatican Three”, with St Peter’s Square being Vatican One, and the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo Vatican Two.
With more than 1,500 beds, it is one of the biggest private hospitals in Europe and is the second-largest in Italy.
Francis was treated at the Gemelli several times, including for an operation on his colon in 2013 and for infectious bronchitis in March 2023.
The Papal suite
In the 1980s, the Gemelli set up a special papal suite, which is still in use today.
It’s a small, all-white apartment on the tenth floor with simple furnishings.
As well as the bedroom and bathroom, there is a living room, with a sofa bed for his aides and a chapel with a large crucifix where the pope can attend or celebrate mass and say prayers.
There’s also a balcony where the pope can appear to greet the faithful and give weekly prayer.
John Paul II statue
Outside the hospital stands a statue of one of its most famous patients, Pope John Paul II.
Made of white marble, it depicts the pontiff in his later years clutching a crucifix.
Doctors at the Gemelli helped save John Paul’s life after he was shot in a failed assassination attempt in May 1981.
He underwent a six-hour operation to remove a bullet from his abdomen. It was the first time a pope had been treated at the Gemelli.
