Pope Francis dies at 88: Latin America’s first pontiff leaves behind powerful Easter message
World: Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican confirmed in a video statement on Monday.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican confirmed in a video statement on Monday (April 21). His death comes after a 12-year papacy.
Pope Francis' final public appearance on Easter Sunday
On Sunday, Pope Francis appeared in front of crowd of more than 35,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square by appearing in the popemobile. It was his most public outing since recovering from a serious bout of double pneumonia.
“Brothers and sisters, happy Easter!” he said.
As is tradition, he delivered the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing, which means “to the city and the world.” The message was read aloud by Archbishop Diego Ravelli and included calls for peace in war-torn regions such as Gaza, Ukraine, Congo and Myanmar.
“I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!” the message said.
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He added, “On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves… For all of us are children of God.”
