Pope Francis dies aged 88

Hello. Pope Francis has died, the Vatican has announced. My colleagues detail how the pontiff made his mark on the Roman Catholic Church, and take a look back on his life in pictures.

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TOP OF THE AGENDA

First Latin American Pope made his mark

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Pope Francis became the head of the Catholic Church in 2013. Credit: Reuters

Catholics around the world are mourning the death of spiritual leader Pope Francis on Easter Monday, a holy day in the Church's calendar. The 88-year-old was discharged from hospital last month after five weeks of treatment for an infection that led to double pneumonia. He was still recovering, but appeared in St Peter's Square on Sunday to wish "Happy Easter" to thousands of worshippers and also held a private meeting with US Vice-President JD Vance. The first pontiff to come from Latin America, Pope Francis tirelessly advocated for the world's most vulnerable people, but also held conservative views on issues such as abortion and contraception.

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What happens after Pope Francis's death

The new Pope has to be chosen by the Catholic Church's most senior officials, known as the College of Cardinals. Credit: Reuters

The death of Pope Francis sets in motion the centuries-old process of electing a new pontiff. Cardinals are summoned to a meeting at the Vatican, followed by the conclave, as the election is known. The only clue about how the election is proceeding is the smoke that emerges twice a day from burning the cardinals' ballot papers: black signals failure, but white means a new Pope has been chosen.