Pope Francis has died

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, has died at the age of 88.

He was the first pope from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, and the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope Gregory III.

Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13 March. He chose Francis as his papal name in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi.

On February 14, Francis entered Gemelli Hospital in Rome due to bronchitis. His hospital stay was extended due to a polymicrobial infection of his respiratory tract and bilateral pneumonia.

Vatican News described his condition as critical and reported that he was given blood transfusions and high-flow oxygen. On February 23, it was announced that Francis had early-stage kidney failure, though his condition remained "under control". On 26 February, he showed slight improvement, but two days later Francis suffered a bronchial spasm causing him to inhale vomit and require non-invasive mechanical ventilation, with the Vatican stating that his prognosis remained guarded.

On March 3, it was reported that he had been removed from mechanical ventilation and was recovering. The Vatican disclosed that Francis had suffered two episodes of "acute respiratory insufficiency". After this episode, the third major downturn in the Pope's condition, mechanical ventilation was resumed that afternoon.

On March 19, it was reported that Francis was no longer using mechanical ventilation at night, with his doctors stating that his lung infection was under control, although not eliminated. He was discharged from hospital March 23, immediately after blessing a crowd from his balcony; he was expected to spend at least two months recuperating at his home in Domus Sanctae Marthae in Vatican City, maintaining a reduced work schedule.