The pontiff's death comes just over two months after he was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Friday, Feb. 14, following a respiratory tract infection.
Two weeks later, he experienced an “isolated” breathing crisis that raised concerns about his dire condition.
The Vatican announced on Monday morning, April 21, that he died at 7:35 a.m. Rome time.
"He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized," Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a statement revealing the news around two hours later.
Pope Francis made his first public appearances since the 38-day hospital stay in the last few days, greeting the crowds gathered in a tulip-filled St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday on April 20, where he surprised many by making his way onto the balcony while in a wheelchair.
Earlier Sunday morning, Pope Francis met briefly with Vice President JD Vance at the Casa Santa Marta, a guesthouse within Vatican City where Francis lived in a suite of rooms.
"There was also an exchange of views on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions, and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention focused on migrants, refugees and those in prison," the Vatican said of what it described as a "cordial conversation."
Francis became the first Latin-American pontiff in 2013, with a message that he wanted a church among the public, doing more for those on the margins of society, and more focused on the core values of the Christian message.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in December 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was the first pope from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, and the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope Gregory III.
Francis, the 266th head of the church in its 2,000-year history, took his name from St. Francis of Assisi, who founded the Franciscan order, emphasizing simplicity, and service to others.
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