Obituary: Pope Francis, 1936-2025 - Modernising leader who shook up the Catholic Church

The Holy See said: "A short while ago, His Eminence, Cardinal Farrell, announced with sorrow the death of Pope Francis, with these words: 'Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.

"'At 7.35 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'."

Admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital in critical condition on February 14, His Holiness experienced breathing problems for several days.

This led to being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs, and an "initial, slight insufficiency" in his kidney function - interpreted by some media as the start of kidney failure. Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflame and scar both lungs, and make it difficult to breathe.

The Vatican had previously described the Pope's infection as "complex," and that it was caused by two or more microorganisms.

The Holy See remained guarded on his prognosis during his hospital stay but admitted the pontiff was in critical condition.

His Holiness required a transfusion of two units of blood after experiencing a "prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis."

Pope Francis had suffered bouts of ill health over the past few years, and was particularly prone to lung infections because he developed pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.

In March 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio stood on the balcony of Saint Peter's in Rome for the first time as the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

It was the start of a very different pontificate from his predecessor, Benedict, who had retired from his onerous duties.

The former archbishop of Buenos Aires was the first Pope to take the name of Francis, the saint of the poor and of nature.

He was, though, to usher in a time of richer relations with his worldwide congregation, both in style and substance.

That soon became evident as he made his presence in the Vatican more accessible.

Gone were the grand papal apartments; he moved to the Casa Santa Marta to live simply with others.

When he visited the headquarters of the European Union, he did so in a battered car, and a more informal approach echoed that of Pope John Paul II.

"The carnival is over," he declared, referring to the Vatican's cliques and factions.

There was, instead, a whirling circus of high-profile media appearances, and met Queen Elizabeth II in April 2014 at the Vatican.

The Pope wanted to be part of the modern world; he appeared on the covers of TIME and Rolling Stone magazines.
When asked about homosexuality, he answered: "Who am I to judge?"

But did indeed pass judgement on perpetrators of child sexual abuse within the Catholic church, describing it as a "battle" to eradicate it.

This was one of his earliest challenges, and his Papacy became an opportunity to end decades of evasion and cover-ups.
But traditionalists were fearful of his modernising tendencies, heightened when he banned the Latin Mass - a form of liturgy popular with conservative Catholics.

He went on to speak of Muslims as "brothers", and was vocal in his support of migrants - even taking in some families to live in the Vatican itself.

He also pitted himself against African Orthodox bishops on the issue of homosexuality, where Pope Francis went further than his predecessors.

Although he never actually blessed the concept of gay marriage, he appeared to observe the rule of love above the rule of law.

In a documentary for the Disney Plus channel, he also reflected that priests should be merciful towards women seeking an abortion.

As the world was gripped by the Covid crisis, Francis publicly encouraged all Catholics to get vaccinated.

He called this a small gesture of love in poverty at a time when scepticism was sweeping parts of the globe.

The coronavirus death toll was rising, especially across his home continent of South America, and he felt the need for practical as well as spiritual leadership.

When Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, the Vatican needed to deliver its own message in the war of words between Russia and the West.

Pope Francis denounced the wake of death and destruction, describing the war as a crime against God and humanity.

He warned of a rising nuclear threat, echoing the views of millions when he said the world once more feels fear and anguish.
Despite this continued spiritual strength, his physical being was weakening.

Knee problems left him using a wheelchair for long periods.

In the summer of 2021, Pope Francis underwent abdominal surgery.

Bronchitis hospitalised him in the spring of 2023 - an acknowledgement of his increasing frailty - but he continued with duties.

The Pope had admitted drafting a letter of resignation in the event of illness, making it impossible for him to continue with his duties as Benedict had done.

But then, in a more recent interview, he reflected that he had no real intention of taking that step.

His ministry, he said, was his life - fulfilling his duties until the end.