Pope Francis, 88, di:.es on Easter Monday at his Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta residence

“At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” the Vatican said in a video statement.
Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at his residence in the Vatican, officials confirmed on Monday. In a video statement, the Vatican said that the first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church passed away at the age of 88 after prolonged illness. It ended a rather turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the Roman Catholic Church. In his 12 years of papacy, Pope Francis suffered several ailments.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell issued a statement that was published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel saying, “This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.”

On March 13, 2013, Pope Francis addressed millions from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica with a simple ‘brothers and sisters, good evening’. This was a clear departure from the usual “praised be Jesus Christ” salutation. The pontiff took the name Francis to honour Francis of Assisi, who was the saint associated with respect for the environment and concern for the poor.

Inheriting a deeply divided Church from his predecessor Benedict XVI, Pope Francis took several measures to overhaul the institution. The first non-European pope in 1,300 years, Francis’ tenure was also marked by s3xual abuse scandals