Pope Francis, the Argentine Jesuit who made history as the first Roman Catholic pontiff from the Americas and the first from the Southern Hemisphere, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican announced on Monday.
The news was delivered by Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a video address. “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” he said.
Pope Francis was also the first non-European to lead the Catholic Church in nearly 1,300 years.
