Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Catholic church, died on Monday at the age of 88, according to the Vatican.
His death comes a day after he appeared in St Peter’s Square to wish “Happy Easter” to thousands of worshippers.
He was recently discharged from hospital last month after five weeks of treatment for an infection, the BBC reports.
Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His parents had fled their native Italy to escape the evils of fascism. He was the eldest of five children.
He enjoyed tango dancing and became a supporter of his local football club, San Lorenzo.