Pope Francis dies at age of 88

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican has said in a video statement.

He was 88 and had been recovering from a serious bout of double pneumonia.

“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican’s TV channel.

“At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”