Reformist pontiff dies at 88

Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff and a widely recognised advocate of reform and social justice within the Catholic Church, died on Monday at the age of 88 following a prolonged respiratory illness, according to the Vatican.

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Editorial: A people’s pontiff

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He was 88. His death came as a shock after he had been driven around St Peter’s Square in an open-air popemobile to greet cheering crowds on Easter Sunday.

Bells tolled in church towers across Rome after the announcement, which was read out by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived.

First pope from global south

• Argentina’s Jorge Mario Bergoglio is elected pope in March 2013 after Pope Benedict resigns
• Is first non-European to hold post in 1,300 years; also first Latin American & Jesuit at helm
• Shuns traditional trappings of papacy, lives in a modern guest house instead of Apostolic Palace
• Clashes with conservatives, who balk at his calls for the Church to be more welcoming to LGBT people
• Initiates changes in the Vatican, emphasising transparency, accountability & financial reforms
• Despite efforts, struggles to get a grip on the Church’s crisis over sexual abuse by clerics
• Visits over 65 states and territories, but never returns to Argentina

“At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church?” Farrell said.

A spokesman said the pope’s body might be moved to St Peter's Basilica as early as Wednesday morning to allow the faithful to pay their respects. No date has been set for the funeral.

Tributes for Francis poured in from around the world, with many leaders praising his humility and care for the poor.

Francis had on Sunday made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged from hospital on March 23 after a 38-day stay for pneumonia.

In an Easter Sunday message read aloud by an aide as the pope looked on from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the pontiff had reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

At the Vatican, locals, tourists and pilgrims visiting for Easter expressed their shock and grief. Doctors had prescribed two months of rest when the pope left hospital last month but he appeared on a number of occasions and met Britain’s King Charles in April and had a brief meeting on Sunday with visiting US Vice-President JD Vance.

World leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Russian President Vladimir Putin, paid tribute to the pope, praised his efforts to reform the worldwide church and offered condolences to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, surprising many Church watchers who had seen the Argentine cleric, known for his concern for the poor, as an outsider.

He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his "psychological health".

He initiated changes within the Vatican, emphasising transparency, accountability and financial reform and appointed more women to senior posts in its hierarchy. However, Francis was also viewed as a haphazard leader, often blindsiding Vatican officials with his off-the-cuff comments.

He struggled to get a grip on the Church's crisis over sexual abuse by clerics and he inherited a Church torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy and was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.

Francis appointed nearly 80 per cent of the cardinal electors who will choose the next pope, increasing the possibility that his successor will continue his progressive policies, despite the strong pushback from traditionalists.

Secret ballot, smoke & tolling bells

• First ballot is held in Sistine Chapel. If no pope is elected, two ballots are held each morning & two each afternoon
• Each cardinal makes his choice on ballot, folds it in half, puts it on a tray & tips it into a receptacle
• Three designated cardinals check each ballot; results are announced after every round
• If no one gets two-thirds of votes, ballots are pierced with a needle & thread, burned in a stove after each voting session
• Black smoke from the chimney means no decision; white smoke signals selection of pope, followed by tolling of bells

Funeral & selection of the successor

Mourning rites will last nine days with funeral likely within four to six days after death. Funeral Mass is expected at St Peter’s Square, even though Francis wished to be buried in Rome’s St Mary Major Basilica. A conclave to choose the next pope must begin 15-20 days after death.

FOUR Indians eligible to vote

Only cardinals under the age of 80 can vote to elect pope. Regulations limit the number of electors to 120. Currently 135 cardinals are eligible to vote. Four of them — Filipe Neri Ferrao, Baselios Cleemis, Anthony Poola and George Jacob Koovakad — are from India