The Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis died on Monday morning at the age of 88 following his recent health struggles, including an extended hospitalization with pneumonia.
According to CNN, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis died early Monday morning at his Casa Santa Marta residence at the Vatican.
In a statement obtained by Fox News, Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said, “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated 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 in favor of the poorest and most marginalized,” Ferrell added. “With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”
Fox News reported that Pope Francis was elected to succeed Pope Benedict XVI in March of 2013 and was the first non-European pope to serve in the position in more than 1,000 years.
READ MORE: Deadly shootout leads to rescue of kidnapped pastor in South Africa
According to CNN, Pope Francis was hospitalized for five weeks earlier this year after being diagnosed with double pneumonia; however, the pope was released from the hospital last month. The outlet noted that the Vatican reported last week that the pope’s health was improving.
CNN reported that Pope Francis met with Vice President J.D. Vance on Sunday and gave the Easter blessing at Saint Peter’s Basilica.
In a Sunday post on X, formerly Twitter, Vance shared pictures of his meeting with the pope, tweeting, “Today I met with the Holy Father Pope Francis. I am grateful for his invitation to meet, and I pray for his good health.”
Following the announcement of the pope’s death on Monday, Vance wrote, “I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill.”
President Donald Trump also released a statement on Monday regarding the pope’s death. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”
Dr. Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst, told Fox News that the pope’s death could have been linked to a “respiratory failure event” on Monday.
“What I heard from inside sources… I heard that there was a respiratory failure event this morning, Rome time, in the morning. Five to seven AM, where he was unable to catch his breath,” Siegel said. “We don’t know what caused that. It was likely due to another asthma-type event like he had in the hospital.”
© American Military News