Pope Francis passes away - A voice for the poor who reshaped the Catholic Church
Pope Francis, a voice for the poor who reshaped the Catholic Church but faced fierce resistance, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican said. The Pope's death was announced Monday morning by Cardinal Kevin Farrell.
"Dear brothers and sisters, it is with deep sorrow that I must announce the death of our Holy Father, Francis," the statement said.
"At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the Father's house. His entire life was dedicated to the service of God and His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest," Farrell said.
"With great gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we entrust the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite and merciful love of the Triune God," the statement concluded. The death of Francis, who became the first Latin American pope in 2013 and was one of the oldest popes in the history of the church, came weeks after he was discharged from a Rome hospital, where he had been hospitalized for pneumonia.
The medical team said his condition had stabilized, allowing him to continue his recovery at his Casa Santa Marta residence in the Vatican. Two weeks after leaving the hospital, he surprised the faithful by appearing in St. Peter's Square.
His death will open up debate about the future direction of the Catholic Church, with cardinals from around the world expected to gather in Rome in the coming days to mourn the pope and then elect his successor.
An outsider and the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years, Francis championed the poor, immigrants and the environment, but divisions over same-sex relationships and the handling of abuse scandals within the church persisted throughout his leadership.
The pope's tireless defense of immigrants led him to sharply criticize US President Donald Trump's deportation policies in the months before his death. Francis, whose papacy was a counterweight to rising nationalist populism, often found himself under attack from powerful conservative Catholic forces in the US.
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Vatican: Pope Francis passes away!
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