- Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died aged 88
- There’s palpable shock at the Vatican, where the Pope had addressed crowds at an Easter Sunday service, Sofia Betizza reports
- Tributes pour in from world leaders, including from King Charles, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, and JD Vance, who briefly met the Pope on Sunday
- The Vatican confirmed the pontiff died at 07:35 local time on Monday; he was recently discharged from hospital after weeks of treatment for an infection.
Trump calls Pope ‘a good man’ at Easter celebration
US President Trump has again paid tribute to Pope Francis, who died today aged 88.
Just a short while ago, Trump – presiding over an annual Easter celebration – announced that he signed an executive order ordering all flags to be flown at half mast in honour of the pontiff.
“He was a good man,” the president said. “He worked and loved the world.”
Asked what message he had for Catholics, Trump said “we love you all.”
“We’re here for you all,” he said, adding that he feels “very badly” for those saddened by the Pope’s death.
In Poland, Francis remembered for open-mindedness
I’m inside Warsaw’s main Catholic cathedral, St John’s Archcathedral, where a large photo of Pope Francis has been placed at the altar.
Poland is one of the most religious countries in Europe, with more than 71% of people identifying as Catholic, and at least one third attending Mass weekly.
One of Francis’ predecessors, Pope John Paul II, hailed from Poland, and was canonised by Francis in 2014.
“He was special, he was open-minded,” says Natalia. “He didn’t say ‘this group is bad’… he taught everyone that God’s love is big, and that’s the point of being a Christian.”
Jadwiga says she was saddened to hear of the Pope’s death, and she had watched him the day before on television performing Easter mass in the Vatican.
“He was an extremely humble man. He didn’t wear expensive outfits. I hope the next Pope will be similar,” she says.
Mourners gather in St Peter’s Square ahead of rosary
In St Peter’s Square, the same large screen which broadcast the Pope’s Easter Sunday blessing is now displaying a photo of him smiling.
Alongside it is a notice that tonight, at 19:30 local time (18:30 BST), a rosary will be recited in his memory.
A great shock for Nigerian Catholics
For many Nigerian Catholics, news of Pope Francis’s death has been a great shock.
The Catholic Church in Nigeria has thrown its doors open to worshippers wanting to mourn and pray.
In Nigeria, Catholics remain one of the dominant populations.
Over 30 million Nigerians are known to be Catholic, which is more than 15% of the country’s population, meaning they are very influential, and some feel that the country should have been recognised with a papal visit.
It’s an unspoken feeling, but many faithful here would want a new Pope to consider visiting Nigeria.
One worshipper in Nigeria tells the BBC it’s “very sad to lose a spiritual father”. She adds that she “hopes we have a good selection of Pope who will do more than he did”.
Another worshipper says: “I feel sad, I hope God will bring a better person to replace him”.
Who is the acting head of the Vatican, Cardinal Kevin Farrell?
Following the death of Pope Francis, Cardinal Kevin Farrell became the acting head of the Roman Catholic Church – a role he will hold until a new pope is elected.
Cardinal Farrell announced the death of the Pope this morning.
Farrell is currently the “camerlengo” – the person who runs the Vatican from the death or resignation of one pope to the election of another.
He will also preside over the “rite of the confirmation of death” and place the Pope’s body in a coffin.
Dublin-born Farrell attended the University of Salamanca in Spain and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
He was appointed Bishop of Dallas in 2007 before Pope Francis called on him to serve as the leader of the Vatican’s new department responsible for the pastoral care of families and raised him to the rank of cardinal.
In 2019, Pope Francis nominated him Camerlengo of the Roman Catholic Church.
Mass held in Buenos Aires cathedral in Pope’s honour
The Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires was packed with people wanting to pay their respects to the late Pope.
Pope Francis served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires from 1998 until he was elected Pope in 2013 and this cathedral was where he worshipped and celebrated many a Mass.
The faithful filed past a photo of a smiling Pope Francis placed on a black cloth.
Many kneeled throughout the Mass.
Archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge García Cuerva told those attending that the best tribute they could pay to the Pope would be “to come together and stop confronting each other all the time”.
“All of us have to be a bit more like Francis. We have to realise that the Church has to be a place for everyone, we can’t discriminate against anyone or leave anyone out,” he added.
From Buenos Aires to the Vatican: Pope Francis’s path to the papalcy
17 December 1936: Jorge Mario Bergoglio is born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
March 1958: Enters the novitiate of the Society of Jesus, starting his period of candidacy to become a Jesuit priest
December 1969: Ordained as a Jesuit priest
May 1992: Appointed titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires
February 1998: Made Archbishop of Buenos Aires, a role he holds until March 2013
February 2001: Created Cardinal, and is assigned the title of San Roberto Bellarmino
April 2005: Takes part in the Conclave in which Pope Benedict XVI was elected
March 2013: Elected Supreme Pontiff, and installed as Pope Francis six days later, after Pope Benedict steps down
Who chooses the new Pope?
The new Pope has to be chosen by the Catholic Church’s most senior officials, known as the College of Cardinals.
All men, they are appointed directly by the Pope, and are usually ordained bishops.
There are currently 252 Catholic cardinals, 135 of whom are eligible to vote for the new Pope.
The others are over the age of 80, which means they cannot take part in the election, although they can join in the debate over who should be selected.
Pope remembered for his message of inter-religious peace in Asia Pacific
One of the last tours the Pope did before his death – and one of the longest – was a 12-day tour of Asia-Pacific last September.
He visited Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Indonesia and Singapore, where he preached a message of inter-religious harmony.
Nasaruddin Umar, Indonesia’s minister for religious affairs and the Grand Imam of the country’s largest mosque, pays tribute to the Pope, saying they “cannot forget his services and friendship”.
Singapore’s Catholic Church says that during his visit the Pope had met young people from different faiths and “urged the youth of today to be courageous and open to feedback in order to have sincere dialogue with one another”.
One Singaporean Catholic, Karen Cheah, says she was “completely taken by surprise” by the death of the Pope, given his recent public appearances.
“Pope Francis was not just a leader, but a moral compass and shepherd who guided us through uncertain times,” she says.
In Nairobi, Catholics mourn outspoken Pope
Outside the Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi, Catholics are remembering Pope Francis as a pontiff who “reached out” to Africa.
Francis visited several African countries during his papacy and spoke out against what he saw as injustices on the continent.
“He reached out to us and he brought changes. He reached out even to the places and situations where the political leaders would be oppressive to their people,” Rosemary Muchai tells the BBC. “He would speak out. He has spoken out.”
“Mostly, I remember Pope Francis for the message of love of the poor,” says Belvin Musweti.
The Pope “always insisted that we also live according to the gospel, mostly showing our love to the poor and the marginalised in the community,” he adds.
Cecilia Mwongeli says she will remember the Pope’s emphasis on family and his message of hope. She says Pope Francis encouraged people to “be hopeful irrespective of the hard economic and life situations”.
Catholics in Bangkok gather in prayer for late pontiff
As we’ve been reporting, Catholics around the world are mourning the death of Pope Francis, including in Bangkok, Thailand, where many have gathered to pay their respects.
‘An exceptional leader’: Pope Francis remembered in Ireland
Irish President Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to Pope Francis’s focus on “vital issues of out time”.
“Pope Francis, in his important messages and in the presentation of his papacy with a unique humility, sought to show in the most striking and moving of ways the extraordinary importance of the spiritual as a powerful source of global ethics in the challenges of contemporary life,” Higgins says.
Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin describes the Pope as an “exceptional leader”.
In a statement, he says the pontiff’s “long and distinguished papacy was marked by his unwavering commitment to the principles of compassion, peace, and human dignity”.
In his final weeks, Francis had South Sudan on his mind
During his last public appearance – on Easter Sunday – Pope Francis reminded his followers of the fighting in South Sudan.
The Pope had consistently tried to help broker peace in the country.
From his hospital bed, he wrote to the leaders of South Sudan, where an agreement that ended a gruelling civil war was fast collapsing.
According to South Sudan’s presidency, the Pope urged political rivals President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar to “prioritise peace, reconciliation and development”.
He previously called for an end to conflict when he visited the country in 2023.
And six years ago, he shocked many by kneeling and kissing Kirr and Machar’s feet as a way of appealing for unity.
How countries around the world are marking the Pope’s death
Countries around the world have begun preparations to honour the legacy of Pope Francis, who died today aged 88.
Here’s a look at some of the key events:
The Vatican will hold a public prayer service at 19:30 local time.
In Argentina – the Pope’s home country – seven days of national mourning have been declared.
Brazil has also declared a week-long national mourning period, which President Lula says is in homage to his work.
In Austria, church bells will ring across the country at 17:00 local time. Black flags are also being hung from churches and clerical buildings. A requiem mass will be held for the Pope at Vienna’s St Stephen’s Cathedral at 18:00.
In the UK, royal residences will fly the Union Jack at half mast, in addition to the British embassy in the Vatican.
In Spain, three days of mourning have been declared.
In France, the bells at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris rang out 88 times earlier today. This evening, the Eiffel Tower lights will be turned off.
Vatican to lead prayer service in St Peter’s Square
The Vatican says it will lead a prayer service in St Peter’s Square tonight at 19:30 local time (18:30 BST).
Cardinal Mauro Gambetti will recite the rosary, which is a series of prayers, according to a statement on their X account.
As we’ve been reporting, large groups have been gathering in the square throughout the day to pay their respects to Pope Francis.
Vatican website removes Pope Francis
The homepage of the Vatican’s official website has changed to reflect the death of Pope Francis.
It now reads “Apostolica Sedes Vacans”, meaning the seat is vacant in Latin. Yesterday, it had a picture of the Pope and information relating to his leadership.
Currently, 135 cardinals are aged under 80 and eligible under Church law to enter a conclave to elect a pope after Francis dies or retires, with an elaborate selection process held in secrecy in the Vatican.
Why many in Latin America saw Pope as one of their own
When Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the first Pope from Latin America in March 2013, there was jubilation in the streets of Argentina.
Some international media said the celebrations resembled those after a win in a football match, with people waving the Argentine flag and shouting “Francisco!”, the name the newly elected pope had chosen for himself.
The manner of the celebrations was fitting for a man who was himself an avid football fan and who remained loyal to San Lorenzo – the Argentine club he supports – throughout his papacy.
Many in Latin America say they saw him as one of their own, not just because he hailed from the region but also because of his humble background and his warm, approachable nature.
However, while the Catholic Church was at first invigorated by his election, it was not able to escape the trend in recent years which has seen some faithful in Latin America either turn away completely from religion or join evangelical Protestant churches instead.
‘He was always one of us’ – Pope’s football club
‘He was always one of us’ – Pope’s football clubBorn in Buenos Aires, Pope Francis became a passionate follower of one of the oldest football clubs in Argentina, San Lorenzo.
In the last few moments, the club has paid tribute to the Pope who for years was a season ticket holder and never hid the club’s colours (even when he became the head of the Catholic Church).
“He was never just one of us, but always one of us,” the club says in post on X. “Cuervo as a child and as a man… Cuervo as a priest and Cardinal… Cuervo as Pope too… He always transmitted his passion for Ciclón.”
“Wrapped in deep sorrow, from San Lorenzo today we say to Francis: Goodbye, thank you, and farewell! We will be together for eternity!”
- Cuervo, the Spanish word for “crow”, and cición, meaning “cyclone”, are two of San Lorenzo’s nicknames