Pope Francis, the first Latino leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has passed away, Reuters reported.
The Vatican released the information in a video announcement on April 21.
Pope Francis is 88 years old. He suffered from various illnesses during his 12 years as papal reign.
He was the first Pope born and raised outside of Europe in the 12th century, the first person from the Americas and the first monk to hold the position.
Pope Francis has led 1.3 billion Roman Catholics in the world since 2013. He has had to use a wheelchair or stand up a stick for more than a year after undergoing a number of surgeries, including gastric surgery.
According to tradition, the death of the popes will be officially held for 9 days. More than 140 doctors will arrive in the Vatican within 15 to 20 days to begin the papal election campaign.
