He was the first Latin American pope to reach the Holy See.
SANTO DOMINGO. -At 7:35 this morning (1:35 a.m. local time), Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, announced the death of Pope Francis, the first from Latin America to occupy the highest position in the Catholic Church.
He was born in 1936 in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
"Dear brothers and sisters, it is with deep sorrow that 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," the statement reads.
The document emphasizes that the Holy Father dedicated his entire life 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 for the poorest and most marginalized.".
In 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Pope's given name, became the first Jesuit pontiff and the first of Latin American origin.
"With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we entrust the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the Triune God," the Vatican statement emphasizes.
