Pope Francis dies at 88 in Vatican City

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday morning at the Vatican at the age of 88.

He passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time, according to the Vatican.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis became the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas when elected in 2013. His papacy was marked by reform efforts, calls for social justice and outreach to marginalized communities. He also faced mounting criticism over the Church’s response to clerical abuse scandals.

In recent years, Pope Francis made several controversial statements about the Israel-Hamas conflict. He condemned the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack but later called for a ceasefire and criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Jewish groups, including Israeli officials and U.S. Jewish organizations, sharply criticized the pope for what they described as moral equivalency between Hamas and Israel.

Despite ongoing health issues, including a February hospitalization for pneumonia, Francis appeared publicly at Easter Mass on Sunday.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed his condolences on Monday, calling Pope Francis “a man of deep faith and boundless compassion.”

“I send my deepest condolences to the Christian world and especially the Christian communities in Israel—the Holy Land—on the loss of their great spiritual father, His Holiness Pope Francis,” Herzog said. “He dedicated his life to uplifting the poor and calling for peace in a troubled world.”

Herzog praised Francis for “fostering strong ties with the Jewish world and advancing interfaith dialogue,” and added: “I truly hope that his prayers for peace in the Middle East and for the safe return of the hostages will soon be answered.”

“May his memory continue to inspire acts of kindness, unity, and hope,” said Herzog.

Preparations for the papal conclave to elect his successor will begin following the customary period of mourning.