The first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has died at the age of 89, the Vatican said in a video message on Monday.
Francis has suffered from various illnesses during his 12-year papacy. The Vatican said, "This morning at 7:35 a.m., Bishop of Rome Francis returned to the Father's house."
"Dear brothers and sisters, it is with deep sadness that I am forced to announce the death of our Holy Father Francis," Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on Vatican TV.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope with the name Francis on March 13, 2013, which surprised many Church observers.
He inherited a Church beset by a child sex abuse scandal and torn by infighting within the Vatican bureaucracy, and was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.
