Pope Francis: tributes paid after head of Catholic church dies aged 88 – newest updates

Vatican Information has posted a press release from the Vatican on X:

At 9.45 AM on Easter Monday, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, spoke these phrases on the Casa Santa Marta:

Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I have to announce the loss of life of our Holy Father Francis. At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His total life was devoted to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to dwell the values of the Gospel with constancy, braveness, and common love, particularly in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his instance as a real disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.

Tributes are being paid to Pope Francis after the affirmation of his loss of life by the Vatican. He was aged 88.

Pope Francis died Monday morning, Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, introduced.

“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His total life was devoted to the service of the Lord and of his Church,″ Farrell stated within the announcement. “He taught us to dwell the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, braveness, and common love, particularly for the poorest and most marginalised.

“With immense gratitude for his instance as a real disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.″

Francis, who suffered from continual lung illness and had a part of one lung eliminated as a younger man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on 14 February for a respiratory disaster that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalisation of his 12-year papacy.

Pope Francis marked Easter Sunday by blessing hundreds of people that had gathered for mass in St Peter’s Sq. after which embarking on a shock popemobile tour across the piazza on Sunday.

The 88-year-old pontiff didn’t have a good time mass within the sq., delegating the service as a substitute to Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the retired archpriest of St Peter’s Basilica.

Francis was identified with bronchitis in early February, however had continued to carry each day audiences in his Vatican lodge suite, and even presided at an outside Mass on Sunday 9 February.

However he had handed over his speeches for an aide to learn aloud, saying he was having hassle respiration.

Francis, who had a part of one lung eliminated at age 21, had lengthy battled well being issues, particularly bouts of acute bronchitis in winter and had used a wheelchair, walker or cane when transferring round his condominium.

The Pope was particularly susceptible to lung infections as a result of growing pleurisy – an irritation of the skinny outer overlaying of the lung – as an grownup.