Pope Francis dies, leading to search for new leader of Catholic Church
Pope Francis has died, the Vatican announced in a video statement.
The first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church died at the age of 88 at 7:35am (05:35 GMT) on Monday, said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel.His death will lead to a process to find a new spiritual leader of the world’s1.4 billion or so Catholics.
Francis had suffered various ailments during his 12-year papacy, with severe complications in recent weeks after a bout of double pneumonia for which he spent 38 days at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
His death comes one day after a brief final appearance before thousands of Catholic pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Vatican’s open-air Easter Sunday Mass, wishing the crowds “Happy Easter” before an aide read out his last benediction.
Concern over his health had risen in recent days, as Francis had defied doctors’ orders issued after he was discharged from hospital on March 23 to visit a prison in Rome and carry out other short appointments.“I am living it as best I can,” he told a journalist when asked about marking Easter in his condition.
“When very sad news like this comes, there is a very well-planned procedure for what happens after the death of a pontiff. But I think, for now, people will be completely shocked,” said Al Jazeera’s diplomatic editor James Bays, reporting from Rome.
“Yes, this is a man who was very, very ill, but less than 24 hours ago, the pilgrims in St Peter’s Square and all around the world saw the pope. He was determined on Easter Sunday to be very, very visible,” he said.
Spiritual leader
When a pope’s death is confirmed, the body is locked away in his apartment to prevent anyone from entering. No autopsy is allowed to take place.Once all officials have been informed, his papal ring is destroyed in front of witnesses.
A funeral should take place within four to six days.
Fifteen days after the pope’s death, it is expected that a papal conclave, a gathering of cardinals younger than 80 years, will convene to vote for his successor.
Once a pope is chosen and he has accepted the appointment, an announcement is made from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, after which the new pope makes his first public appearance.Outsider
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he was elected pope on March 13, 2013, surprising many Church watchers who had seen the Argentinian cleric, known for his concern for the poor, as an outsider.
His papacy marked a radical departure from his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who believed that nurturing the 2,000-year-old institution’s most ardent believers was the way to strengthen the Church.
