VATICAN: The Vatican has announced the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88.
According to Vatican News, he passed away at his residence in Casa Santa Marta within the Vatican.
Cardinal Farrell stated, “His whole life was devoted to serving the Lord and the Church.”
His passing comes just a day after he appeared in St. Peter’s Square to deliver Easter greetings to thousands of worshippers.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, surprising many Church watchers who had seen the Argentine cleric, known for his concern for the poor, as an outsider, according to Reuters.
He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his “psychological health”.
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.
(Inputs from Reuters)
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