Pope Francis dies at 88: Vatican mourns historic leader
"I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him," wrote U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance on social media.
"I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul," J.D. Vance wrote on social media.
Pope Francis has passed away - he died on Monday morning in the Vatican at the age of 88. Just the day before, he appeared publicly, blessing the faithful from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. The Vatican confirmed that the cause of death was complications related to his long-standing health issues. Preparations for the funeral and the conclave that will choose his successor are underway.
Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) was born on 17 December 1936, in Buenos Aires. He was the first pope from South America and the first Jesuit to hold the position. He was elected to the Holy See on 13 March 2013, following the resignation of Benedict XVI.
