Vatican mourns as world bids farewell to Pope Francis
According to rumours circulating in the Vatican, the cause of Pope Francis's death was a stroke, reports the Italian daily "Corriere della Sera". The Holy See will issue an official statement regarding the cause of death in the coming hours.
The Vatican Press Office announced the death of Pope Francis. The Holy Father passed away on Monday at 7:35 a.m. He was 88 years old. He died while recovering from severe pneumonia, a day after he had arrived for the Urbi et Orbi blessing to greet the faithful.
Francis was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome on 14 February after several days of difficulty breathing. He was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia there. Tests also showed mild initial kidney failure.
His condition gradually worsened. He had a prolonged respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen and a blood transfusion.
The Pope spent over a month in the hospital (about 37 days). He left on Sunday, 23 March.
He was pope for 12 years
Jesuit Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th pope on 13 March 2013, after Benedict XVI resigned from his office on 28 February that year.
Upon assuming the papal office as the successor of St. Peter, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio chose the name Francis. This was a declaration that the pope wished to follow the example of St. Francis of Assisi, being a man of peace and humility who loves creation. As a sign of this attitude, his first apostolic pilgrimage was to the Italian island of Lampedusa, which has been struggling for many years with the arrival of thousands of illegal migrants.
