By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on April 21, ending an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the institution.

He was 88 and had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.

“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican’s TV channel.

“At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”

Pope Francis’ death comes a day after he made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged on March 23 from a 38-day hospital stay for pneumonia.

On April 20, Easter Sunday, Pope Francis entered St. Peter’s Square in an open-air popemobile shortly after midday, greeting cheering crowds.

The Pope has criticized several of the policies of President Donald Trump's administration, including his plans to deport millions of migrants from the US and his widespread cuts to foreign aid and domestic welfare programs.

He inherited a Church that was under attack over a child sex abuse scandal and torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy, and was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.

But as his papacy progressed, he faced fierce criticism from conservatives, who accused him of trashing cherished traditions.

He also drew the ire of progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2,000-year-old Church.

While he struggled with internal dissent, Pope Francis became a global superstar, drawing huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he tirelessly promoted interfaith dialogue and peace, taking the side of the marginalized, such as migrants.

Unique in modern times, two men were wearing white in the Vatican for much of Pope Francis’ rule, with his predecessor, Pope Benedict, opting to continue to live in the Holy See after his shock resignation in 2013 had opened the way for a new pontiff.

Pope Benedict, a hero of the conservative cause, died in December 2022, finally leaving Pope Francis alone on the papal stage.

Pope Francis appointed nearly 80 per cent of the cardinal electors who will choose the next pope, increasing the possibility that his successor will continue his progressive policies, despite the strong pushback from traditionalists.

 

 

 

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