Pope Francis dies at 88: World mourns a leader of peace
There are rumours circulating in the Vatican suggesting that the cause of Pope Francis's death was a stroke, reports the Italian daily "Corriere della Sera". In the coming hours, the Holy See is expected to release an official statement indicating the cause of death.
The Vatican Press Office has 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 experiencing several days of difficulty breathing. There, he was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia. Tests also indicated mild initial kidney failure.
His condition gradually deteriorated. He experienced a prolonged respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen and a blood transfusion.
The Pope spent over a month in the hospital (37 days). He was discharged 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.
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, upon assuming the papal office as the successor of St. Peter, chose the name Francis. This was a declaration that the pope wished, following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, to be a man of peace and poverty, who loves creation. As a sign of this commitment, his first apostolic pilgrimage was to the Italian island of Lampedusa, which has been dealing with the influx of thousands of illegal migrants for many years.
