The Vatican has announced the death of Pope Francis.
The pope has died this morning at 7:35am at the age of 88.
The Argentine-born pontiff became the head of the Catholic Church in 2013, during which time it has grown by 10 per cent.
Pope Francis' death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement released by the Vatican, who praised the Pope for teaching "us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalised."
On February 14th, the Pope was admitted to hospital for treatment of bronchitis, where he was later diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.
Francis remained in a critical condition after a "prolonged respiratory crisis," which then developed into an "initial, mild" kidney failure.
He appeared before thousands of well-wishers to give his Easter blessing yesterday, in his first significant appearance since his illness.
Born in 1936, Francis was the first pope from South America and was endearingly referred to as the "People's Pope."
The Taoiseach has expressed his sympathies this morning, stating that his papacy was "marked by his unwavering commitment to the principles of compassion, peace, and human dignity" during which he "spoke out for the poor, the marginalised, and the oppressed.
He visited Knock Shrine in 2018.
The process for choosing a new pope generally takes place between 15 and 20 days after the death of a pontiff.
