Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday, hours after speaking on the deplorable State of Gaza Easter Sunday mass.
Pope Francis died at age 88 after suffering a prolonged illness, the Vatican announced on Monday, adding that he had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican’s TV channel, noting, “At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”
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Before his recent five-week stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, Francis had been ramping up criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, calling the situation “very serious and shameful” in January.
Muslim News gathered that Pope Francis also called for a ceasefire in Gaza during a fleeting appearance before thousands of Catholic pilgrims that gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Vatican’s open-air Easter Sunday mass.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on 13th March 2013. Born in Buenos Aires on Dec. 17, 1936, to Italian immigrant parents.
He studied in Argentina and later in Germany before being ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969.
Over a decade into his papacy, Pope Francis remained a figure of admiration and controversy.
He sought to reform the Vatican’s bureaucracy, tackle corruption, and address some of the Church’s most pressing challenges.
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While he had been hailed for his humility and commitment to social justice, his leadership had also drawn sharp resistance from conservatives within the Church and beyond.