Emmanuel Clement
The Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis has died at the age of 88, the Vatican has announced in a post on the social media platform X, saying that the pontiff died in his residence.
The pontiff,born Jorge Mario Bergoglio,who was Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church, became pope in 2013 after his predecessor Benedict XVI resigned, making him to become the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Investigator news reports that he had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.
His death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement released by the Vatican. He said: “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.
“At 7.35am this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised.
“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”the statement reads.
It will be recalled that Pope faced fierce criticism from conservatives, who accused him of trashing cherished traditions.
He also drew the ire of progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2,000-year-old Church.
