Pope Francis has died - he was 88

Pope Francis has died – he was 88

Pope Francis has died

The view of St. Peter’s Square following the death of Pope Francis. He has returned to the House of the Father.

Pope Francis died at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican news service says. He had been struggling to recover from double pneumonia.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell of the Apostolic Chamber said in a statement: “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church,” Cardinal Farrell says.

World leaders have been paying tribute, with French President Emmanuel Macron calling him a “man of humility”. Dutch PM Dick Schoof describing him as a “role model for Catholics and non-Catholics alike”.

Hs death comes a day after he appeared in St Peter’s Square to wish “Happy Easter” to thousands of worshippers.

French President Emmanuel Macron is among the first world leaders to pay tribute to Pope Francis, calling him a “man of humility, on the side of the most vulnerable and most fragile”.