Pope Francis, first Latin-American to head the Catholic Church, passes away at 88

Pope Francis, first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, dies after battling respiratory illness, leaving a legacy of reform.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday (April 21, 2025).

“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church, Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said in the announcement.

The Pope had been hospitalised for several weeks as he battled a severe bout of respiratory illness stemming from bronchitis, and was discharged on March 24, 2025. He was admitted to the Gemelli hospital in Rome, Italy on February 14, after experiencing difficulty in breathing for several days.

Also read | Reclaiming a space for the Church

Pope Francis, who had been plagued in recent years by health issues, from knee and hip pain to an inflamed colon, was prone to respiratory infections after having part of his right lung cut away when he was 21.

The Pope is the successor of the Apostle Peter, the head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ and the pastor of the universal Catholic Church on Earth, according to the church’s in-house canon law. Pope Francis was elected the 266th pontiff on March 13, 2013.

Pope Francis’ papacy was marked by his attempts to execute reforms within the Catholic Church. To that extent, history’s first Latin American Pope was vocal on social issues including the treatment of LGBTQIA+ members of the church, climate change, the refugee problem, and even said that the Church must “seek forgiveness” over the “scourge” of child sexual abuse. More recently, the Pope had issued stern criticism of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. In his last days, despite his health, the Pope made his daily call to a Gaza City parish to check in on the Catholic community there.