The Pope is Dead. Less than 24 hours after receiving U.S. Vice President JD Vance the 266th bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church has died on Easter Monday (7:35 AM CET), aged 88.
Born Jorge Bergoglio, the Argentinian born Pope Francis took the mantle of a more pastoral pope and compared to some of his predecessors he was somewhat a reformer who took the Catholic Church into the 20th century (but sadly not the 21st).
His death will now bring a conclave as the various cardinals will jockey to succeed him.
Question will be whether his successor will be in his own mold? Or will it be a more conservative and professorial version like Pope Benedict XVI.