From BBC

Summary

• Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died aged 88
• There’s palpable shock at the Vatican, where the Pope had addressed crowds at an Easter Sunday service, Sofia Bettiza reports
• Tributes pour in from world leaders, including from King Charles, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, and JD Vance, who briefly met the Pope on Sunday
• The Vatican confirmed the pontiff died at 07:35 local timeon Monday; he was recently discharged from hospital after weeks of treatment for an infection

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In his final weeks, Francis had South Sudan on his mind

Getty Image South Sudanese President Salva Kiir welcomed the Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury (pictured on the Pope’s left) in 2023

During his last public appearance – on Easter Sunday – Pope Francis reminded his followers of the fighting in South Sudan. 

The Pope had consistently tried to help broker peace in the country.

From his hospital bed, he wrote to the leaders of South Sudan, where an agreement that ended a gruelling civil war was fast collapsing. 

According to South Sudan’s presidency, the Pope urged political rivals President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar to “prioritise peace, reconciliation and development”.

He previously called for an end to conflict when he visited the country in 2023. 

And six years ago, he shocked many by kneeling and kissing Kirr and Machar’s feet as a way of appealing for unity.

How countries around the world are marking the Pope’s death

Countries around the world have begun preparations to honour the legacy of Pope Francis, who died today aged 88. 

Here’s a look at some of the key events:

The Vatican will hold a public prayer service at 19:30 local time.

In Argentina – the Pope’s home country – seven days of national mourning have been declared. 

Brazil has also declared a week-long national mourning period, which President Lula says is in homage to his work. 

In Austria, church bells will ring across the country at 17:00 local time. Black flags are also being hung from churches and clerical buildings. A requiem mass will be held for the Pope at Vienna’s St Stephen’s Cathedral at 18:00.

In the UK, royal residences will fly the Union Jack at half mast, in addition to the British embassy in the Vatican.

In Spain, three days of mourning have been declared.

In France, the bells at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris rang out 88 times earlier today. This evening, the Eiffel Tower lights will be turned off.

Vatican to lead prayer service in St Peter’s Square

The Vatican says it will lead a prayer service in St Peter’s Square tonight at 19:30 local time (18:30 BST).

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti will recite the rosary, which is a series of prayers, according to a statement on their X account. 

As we’ve been reporting, large groups have been gathering in the square throughout the day to pay their respects to Pope Francis

Vatican website removes Pope Francis

SOURCE: The Vatican

The website today

The homepage of the Vatican’s official website has changed to reflect the death of Pope Francis. 

It now reads “Apostolica Sedes Vacans”, meaning the seat is vacant in Latin. Yesterday, it had a picture of the Pope and information relating to his leadership. 

Currently, 135 cardinals are aged under 80 and eligible under Church law to enter a conclave to elect a pope after Francis dies or retires, with an elaborate selection process held in secrecy in the Vatican.

SOURCE: The Vatican

The website on Sunday

Week of mourning declared in Pope’s home country

Image Source: Reuters

Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has declared seven days of national mourning in Pope Francis’s home country, according to his spokesman. 

Pope Francis was a source of immense pride for Argentina, where the majority of the population identify as Catholic, and the wider region. 

He was the first pope from Latin America. 

The Pope’s death has already prompted gatherings in the capital Buenos Aires. 

His focus on helping the poor and tackling economic inequality resonated in a country that has faced years of economic turmoil. Though, in the past, these views led to a strained relationship with President Milei due to ideological differences. 

He provided a strong – and progressive – voice for the Catholic Church in Latin America, home to nearly 40% of the world’s Catholics, at a time when evangelical Protestantism is on the rise in the region. 

He was named Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and then became Archbishop.

His supporters saw him as a strong voice for the Southern Hemisphere more widely, drawing attention to global inequality after centuries of European leadership of the Catholic Church. 

His critics felt he failed to do enough to oppose Argentina’s brutal military dictatorship, a period where thousands of people were tortured, killed, or forcibly “disappeared” from 1976-1983.

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