BREAKING: Pope Francis dead at 88

Pope Francis has died at the age of 88 years old. His death follows a stint at the hospital where he was admitted due to bilateral pneumonia. He had suffered respiratory issues since childhood. Francis, from Argentina, was the first Pope from the Americas. 

Francis died early Monday morning at his residence at the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta. Francis' had been out of the hospital and had made a public appearance on Easter Sunday.

"At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church," Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said in a statement. "He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and the marginalized."

Before the Easter appearance, he was able to briefly meet with Vice President JD Vance, who spent part of Easter weekend in Rome. Vance shared his heartfelt condolences for Pope Francis' passing, saying:

"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. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul."

The pontiff had spent 38 days in hospital care, starting in February this year. The religious leader had one of his lungs removed as a young man, and the hospital stay saw him brush with death multiple times, according to the AP.

Francis' body will be displayed at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, which is one of the holiest sites of Christianity. Popes in the Catholic Church have been buried there for around the last 100 years. However, in accordance with his wishes, Francis will be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.