Pope Francis, the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the first pontiff from the Americas, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican announced Monday morning.
In an emotional statement from St. Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Kevin Farrell—the camerlengo tasked with overseeing the Church during the papal transition—confirmed that the Pope passed away peacefully at 7:35 a.m. local time within the Vatican.
