Pope Francis dies aged 88 on Easter Monday

Pope Francis died on Monday aged 88, a day after making a much hoped-for appearance at Saint Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, the Vatican said in a statement.

"This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father," said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in the statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel.

He had been hospitalised in Rome in mid-February with bronchitis, which progressed to pneumonia in both lungs "- the last in a litany of respiratory and other medical challenges he had faced. On Sunday, he had met with US Vice President JD Vance.

The spiritual leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics since March 2013, Francis hailed from Argentina, making him the first pope from the Americas, as well as the first Jesuit to hold the position. He became pontiff after the abdication of Benedict XVI and almost immediately reinvigorated Catholicism with his easy demeanor, which was in contrast to his predecessor.