The 266th head of the catholic church and the first pope outside the western hemisphere, Pope Francis has died at the age of 88.
The Vatican announced this in short video statement.
The Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement published by the Vatican on its websites as well as social media handles said he died after battling some health complications.
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Francis had suffered various ailments in his 12-year papacy, with severe complications in recent weeks after a bout of double pneumonia for which he spent five weeks in hospital.
His death comes one day after a brief appearance before thousands of Catholic pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Vatican’s open-air Easter Sunday mass.