Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican says.

It ends an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the hidebound institution.

He was 88 and had recently survived 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 on Monday, April 21.

“At 7.35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope on March 13, 2013, surprising many Catholic 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 inherited a church that was under attack over a child sex abuse scandal and torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy, and was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.

But as his papacy progressed, he faced fierce criticism from conservatives, who accused him of trashing cherished traditions.

He also drew the ire of progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2000-year-old church.

While he struggled with internal dissent, Francis became a global superstar, drawing huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he tirelessly promoted interfaith dialogue and peace, taking the side of the marginalised, such as migrants.

Unique in modern times, there were two men wearing white in the Vatican for much of Francis’ rule, with his predecessor Benedict opting to continue to live in the Holy See after his shock resignation in 2013 had opened the way for a new pontiff.

Benedict, a hero of the conservative cause, died in December 2022, finally leaving Francis alone on the papal stage.

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.

– AAP

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