The Vatican announced the pontiff's death just hours after he had made two surprise appearances to greet Easter crowds.

The world has reacted quickly to the news of the death of Pope Francis at age 88 on Easter Monday.

Within hours of hearing, mourners have flocked to churches to pay their respects.

A boy who died after becoming stuck between rocks at a beach on Easter Sunday has been named, as his family said their "hearts are broken".

Kaison Greaves, known as Kai, nine, died in the freak accident South West Rocks north of Port Macquarie, on the Mid North Coast of NSW.

The rocks are off the shore and an investigation is underway into what happened.

READ MORE: The election promises Labor and the Coalition have made to win your vote

Kai was on holiday in New South Wales with his family, from Queensland, a friend said on a fundraising page, when the incident unfolded around 3.30pm.

His father, David Greaves said his son was "larger than life"

"He was an adventurer, strong-willed and incredibly funny, and always had a cheeky grin," he said in a statement.

"He was an amazing big brother and his brother says is it raining because the angels are crying for Kaison.

"Our hearts are broken."

READ MORE: Five struggling music festivals given $2 million lifeline

Inspector Peter Walton said he had likely been playing when he died in a "tragic misadventure".

NSW Police and Fire and Rescue NSW officers and Surf Life Saving NSW crews got him out, but he died at the scene, police said.

First responders were on the rocks and in neck-deep water as they tried to rescue him, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Another six people died and one remains missing in what lifesaving bosses called an "absolutely horrific" weekend.

Surf Lifesaving NSW said it was the worst Easter weekend on record for ocean drownings.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said Pope Francis' "compassion embraced all humanity" while calling for flags to be flown at half-mast tomorrow for the late pontiff, who has died aged 88.

Albanese said the Pope was as close to the people of Australia as the first pontiff from the Southern Hemisphere, in an address to the nation after the announcement of the pope's death on Easter Monday.

"Pope Francis's love for humanity was powerful and profound," Albanese said.

LIVE UPDATES: World reacts to the death of Pope Francis

READ MORE: Key dates in the life of Pope Francis

"The memory and example of his compassion will long endure."

The prime minister, who wore a black suit and tie, has asked for flags across Australia to be flown at half-mast tomorrow.

At times, he appeared emotional.

"Australian Catholics and faithful around the world give thanks for the life of their holy Father. Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome," Albanese said.

"Today, the prayers of more than a billion people from all nations in every walk of life go with Pope Francis to his rest.

READ MORE: World reacts to death of Pope Francis

"His was a papacy of firsts, the first pope to hail from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, and the first to take the name of that great champion of the poor, Saint Francis of Assisi.

"Pope Francis' compassion embraced all humanity, and today he will be mourned by Catholics and non-Catholics alike."

IN PICTURES: The life of Pope Francis

Albanese visited St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne to pay his respects.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has also paid tribute on behalf of the Coalition.

"His Holiness, Pope Francis, served God with the utmost devotion throughout his life.

"He was the first Pope from the Jesuit order and the first Latin American Pope.

"He lived frugally and simply.

READ MORE: The rites and rituals following the death of a pope explained

"Above all else, he was driven by Christ's values of mercy and forgiveness.

"He emphasised those values in his last Christmas address saying, 'God's mercy can do all things. It unties every knot; it tears down every wall of division; God's mercy dispels hatred and the spirit of revenge.'"

The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher has said Pope Francis "embodied Christ's command to care for all people, especially the most vulnerable."

"The Church in Sydney and Australia joins with people throughout the world in mourning the passing of the Holy Father, Pope Francis," Fisher said.

"As priest, bishop and pope, he embodied Christ's command to care for all people, especially the most vulnerable."

King Charles said Pope Francis will be remembered for his "compassion" as he paid tribute just weeks after visiting the pontiff at The Vatican.

The King said he and Queen Camilla were "deeply saddened" over his death aged 88.

However, he said their "heavy hearts have been somewhat eased" at seeing Pope Francis sharing an Easter Greeting "with the Church and the world he served with such devotion" just hours earlier.

LIVE UPDATES: World reacts to death of Pope Francis

"His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others," King Charles said in a statement.

"His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world.

"Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many.

IN PICTURES: The life of Pope Francis

"The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month.

"We send our most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve and to the countless people around the world who, inspired by his life, will be mourning the devastating loss of this faithful follower of Jesus Christ."

The late Queen Elizabeth also met Pope Francis on numerous occasions.

King Charles is still undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.

The Royal couple went to Rome on a short state visit.

The King, or a representative, will likely attend Pope Frances' funeral.

The death of a pope starts a centuries-old ritual involving sacred oaths by the cardinals electing a successor, the piercing of ballots with a needle and thread after they're counted, and then burning them to produce either the white or black smoke to signal if there's a new leader for the world's 1.3 billion Catholics.

The election itself is shrouded in secrecy, with cardinals forbidden from communicating with the outside world what happened during the voting in the conclave behind the frescoed walls of the Sistine Chapel.

St. John Paul II rewrote the regulations on papal elections in a 1996 document that remains largely in force, though Pope Benedict XVI amended it twice before he resigned. Here is what happens when a pope dies, a period known as the "sede vacante," or the "vacant See."

ROLLING COVERAGE: Worldwide reaction following the death of Pope Francis

Who's in charge?

If the pope has died, the camerlengo, or chamberlain, must certify the death and seal the papal apartment. He runs administrative and financial duties of the Holy See until a new pope takes over.

The largely ceremonial job of camerlengo is currently held by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Irish-born American head of the Vatican's laity office.

Nearly all prefects of Vatican offices lose their jobs when a pope dies, but a few stay on, including the foreign minister and the master of liturgical ceremonies, who plays a key role in assembling the conclave.

The dean of the College of Cardinals summons the cardinals for the funeral, presiding at the Mass before the conclave begins. That position is currently held by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the retired head of the Vatican's office for bishops.

In November 2024, Francis reformed the rites to be used for his funeral, simplifying them to emphasise his role as a mere bishop and allowing for burial outside the Vatican. Francis has chosen to be buried in St. Mary Major Basilica, where his favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, the Salus Populi Romani, is located.

What's the timing?

The death of a pope begins a precise sequence of events that include the confirmation of death in the pontiff's home, the transfer of the coffin to St. Peter's Basilica for public viewing, a funeral Mass and burial. Interment must take place between the fourth and sixth day after his death.

After the funeral, there are nine days of official mourning, known as the "novendiali".

During this period, the cardinals arrive in Rome. To give everyone time to assemble, the conclave must begin 15-20 days after the "sede vacante" is declared, although it can start sooner if the cardinals agree.

READ MORE: The rites and rituals following the death of a pope, his funeral and burial, explained

Who can elect a pope?

Only cardinals under age 80 are eligible, and current regulations limit the number of electors to 120. According to the most recently updated Vatican statistics, there were 136 cardinals under age 80 and eligible to vote, though that number may change before the conclave begins.

Those over 80 can't vote but can participate in pre-conclave meetings, known as general congregations, in which church problems are discussed. It was in these meetings in 2013 that then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio spoke about the need for the church to go to the "existential peripheries" to find those who suffer — an off-the-cuff speech that helped his election.

Who are possible candidates?

Any baptised Roman Catholic male is eligible to be pope, but since 1378, only cardinals have been selected. Some current leading candidates:

• Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy, 70, Francis' secretary of state and a veteran Vatican diplomat.
• Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada, 80, head of the Vatican's bishops office from 2010 to 2023.
• Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Austria, 80, a student of Pope Benedict XVI, and thus ostensibly having appeal for conservatives.
• Cardinal Luis Tagle of the Philippines, 67, brought by Francis to head the Vatican's massive missionary office.
• Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Italy, 69, a Francis protégé who headed the Italian bishops conference.

How are the votes taken?

A first ballot is held in the Sistine Chapel on the afternoon after the initial Mass. If no pope is elected, over the ensuing days two ballots are held each morning and two each afternoon.

The ballots are rectangular pieces of paper with the words: "Eligo in Summum Pontificem" ("I elect as supreme pontiff") written on top, with a space for a name. Each cardinal makes his choice, folds the paper in half, walks to the front of the chapel and declares: "I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected."

He then puts the ballot on a tray and tips it into a receptacle.

Three designated cardinals, known as scrutineers, check each ballot to see if it is filled out correctly. Each name is read aloud and counted, with the results announced to the conclave after each round.

If no one gets the needed two-thirds of votes, the ballots are pierced with a needle and thread, which is then knotted and placed on a tray, and another round of voting is prepared.

Benedict modified some of John Paul's 1996 conclave rules, most notably excluding his vision that a pope could be elected by a simple majority if voting was stalemated. Benedict decreed that a two-thirds majority is always needed, no matter how long it takes. He did so to prevent cardinals from holding out for the 12 days foreseen by John Paul and then pushing through a candidate with a slim majority.

What about secrecy?

Benedict also tightened the oath of secrecy in the conclave, making clear that anyone who reveals what went on inside faces automatic excommunication.

In John Paul's rules, excommunication was always a possibility, but Benedict revised the oath that liturgical assistants and secretaries take to make it explicit, saying they must observe "absolute and perpetual secrecy" and explicitly refrain from using any audio or video recording devices.

They now declare: "I take this oath fully aware that an infraction thereof will incur the penalty of automatic excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See. So help me God and these Holy Gospels, which I touch with my hand."

Cardinals also are bound by secrecy, although the threat of excommunication only hangs over them explicitly if they are found to have accepted payment for their vote, allowed secular powers to influence it, or entered into pacts with other cardinals to back a candidate.

Do we have a pope?

After the ballots are pierced, they are burned in a cylindrical stove at the end of the voting session. Black smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney means no decision; white smoke signals the cardinals have chosen a pope and that he has accepted.

Chemical cartridges are added to ensure there is no confusion over the color. To produce black smoke, a cartridge containing potassium perchlorate, anthracene — the component of coal tar — and sulphur is burned with the ballots. For white smoke, a cartridge of potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin is burned with the ballots.

Bells also are rung to signal the election of a pope for further clarity.

The new pope is introduced from the loggia overlooking St. Peter's Square with the words, "Habemus Papam!" ("We have a pope!") and his chosen papal name. The new pope then emerges and gives his first blessing.

READ MORE: From Buenos Aires to Rome: Key dates in the life of Pope Francis

– With Associated Press

Friends and relatives of a woman kidnapped from her Sydney home and then found dead have paid tribute while calling for justice.

Thi Kim Tran, originally from Vietnam, moved to Australia for a better life.

But last Thursday night the 45-year-old was kidnapped from her Bankstown home and then killed.

LIVE UPDATES: World reacts to the death of Pope Francis

A group of masked men barged inside and threw her into a waiting SUV.

She was at home with a young child and teenager and the eight-year-old boy is still in an induced coma after he was bashed with a baseball bat.

An hour later a torched car was found at Beverly Hills with Ms Trans body inside.

Nine News understands Tran's husband was away on business in Queensland at the time. He is not accused of any wrongdoing in any way.

A relative of Ms Tran's took to social media, calling on the government for justice to be served.

The family member posted an Instagram comment asking "the local government [to] return justice to [Tran].

READ MORE: Tributes to boy, nine, who died getting stuck between rocks

Another friend, who didn't want to be named told the Sydney Morning Herald, what happened was "so awful".

"She didn't deserve this. She was a loving mother. Everyone is in shock." they said,

Homicide detectives are currently leading the investigation as the hunt continues for who was responsible.

One line of inquiry is whether Ms Tran was targeted because someone close to her ripped off a drug syndicate. She is not believed to have been involved in any criminality.

"It's little solace but all I can say to that family is we also want justice," Deputy Premier Prue Car said.

The death of a pope sets in motion a series of carefully orchestrated rites and rituals well before the conclave to elect his successor begins.

They involve the certification of death and public display of his body for the faithful to pay their respects, followed by the funeral and burial.

Pope Francis revised various rites last year, simplifying the funeral rituals to emphasise his role as a mere bishop and allowing for burial outside the Vatican in keeping with his wishes.

But the core elements remain, including the three key moments that must be observed between the death of a pope and his burial.

The reforms are incorporated into the slim red volume Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, Latin for Rite of Burial for Roman Pontiffs.

ROLLING COVERAGE: Pope Francis dies aged 88

Why were changes to the funeral rites necessary?

While popes often tinker with the rules regulating the conclave that elects their successor, a revision of the papal funeral rites hadn’t been undertaken since 2000.

The changes became necessary after Francis expressed his own wishes, and after Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI died on December 31, 2022.

For Benedict, the Vatican had to work out the novelty of a funeral for the first retired pope in 600 years.

A few months later, Francis revealed he was working with the Vatican’s master of liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, to overhaul the entire book of rites to simplify them.

In explaining the reforms, Ravelli said the changes aimed “to emphasise even more that the Roman Pontiff’s funeral is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful man of this world".

The declaration of death

The three main stations, or moments, occur first in his home, then in St Peter’s Basilica, and then in the place of burial.

The reform allows for the formal confirmation of death to occur in Francis’ personal chapel rather than his bedroom.

It is unclear why, the change may be more practical than anything since Francis chose to live in a small suite in the Vatican’s Santa Marta hotel rather than the Apostolic Palace. He has a personal chapel at Santa Marta.

Upon the pope’s death, the head of the Vatican health service examines the body, ascertains the cause of death and writes a report.

The body is dressed in white.

The body rests in the pope’s personal chapel for the ritual pronouncement of death, presided over by the camerlengo, the Vatican official who runs the Holy See administration between the death or resignation of one pope and the election of another.

The camerlengo is American Cardinal Kevin Farrell, one of Francis’ most trusted aides.

READ MORE: From Buenos Aires to Rome: Key dates in the life of Pope Francis

In a change from the past, the rite no longer requires the body to be placed in the traditional three coffins made of cypress, lead and oak.

Now, the pope’s body is placed in a wooden coffin, with a zinc coffin inside.

The pope is dressed in red liturgical vestments, his mitre — the traditional headdress of bishops — and the pallium woollen stole, a kind of scarf.

The Pasqual candle, a large, decorated candle used at Easter, is placed nearby.

The camerlengo drafts the formal declaration of death, attaching the certificate that had been prepared by the health service chief.

The master of liturgical celebrations, Ravelli, then decides when other faithful can pay their respects before the coffin is moved to St Peter’s Basilica for public viewing.

Once in the basilica

When the body is brought into the basilica, the Litany of Saints chant is sung.

The camerlengo leads the procession.

In another change, the pope’s body is no longer placed on an elevated bier.

Rather, the simplified wooden coffin is placed facing the pews, with the Pasqual candle nearby.

The sealing of the coffin

The night before the funeral, the camerlengo presides over the closing and sealing of the coffin, in the presence of other senior cardinals.

A white cloth is placed over the pope’s face.

A bag containing coins minted during his papacy is placed in the coffin along with a one-page written account of his papacy — known in Italian as a "rogito," a word indicating an official deed.

It is read aloud by the master of liturgical ceremonies and then rolled up and slipped inside a cylindrical tube that is placed inside the coffin.

Another copy is kept in the Vatican archives.

The covers of both the zinc coffin and the wooden one bear a cross and the papal coat of arms.

Francis’ coat of arms, which he kept from when he was bishop, features a shield and the monogram of his Jesuit order, with the words “Miserando atque eligendo,” Latin for “Having had mercy, he called him”.

It comes from an episode in the Gospel where Christ picks a seemingly unworthy person to follow him.

The funeral and burial

The funeral is presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals or, if that is not possible, by the vice dean or another senior cardinal.

The current dean is Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91.

The vice dean is Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, 81.

Francis earlier this year extended both of their five-year terms rather than appoint new ones.

Francis’ reform allows for burial outside the Vatican, with the camerlengo presiding. Various seals are impressed on the coffin, and it is placed inside the tomb.

Francis has said he wants to be buried not in St Peter’s Basilica or its grottoes, where most popes are buried, but in the St Mary Major Basilica across town.

His choice reflects his veneration of an icon of the Virgin Mary that is located there, the Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the people of Rome).

After every foreign trip, Francis would go to the basilica to pray before the Byzantine-style painting that features an image of Mary, draped in a blue robe, holding the infant Jesus who in turn holds a jewelled golden book.

“It’s my great devotion,” Francis told Mexico’s N+ in revealing his future burial plans. “The place is already prepared.”

With the burial, the Catholic Church begins nine days of official mourning, known as the “novemdiales” and the conclave begins.

Pope Frances, who died on Monday aged 88, was the first Latin American pope, and is credited with reforming the Vatican.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio as a child of Italian immigrants, he rose to become the leader of the Catholic Church and one of the most powerful men in the world.

He was pope for 12 years.

Here are the key events in his remarkable life.

LIVE UPDATES: Pope Francis has died aged 88; Catholic Church to enter nine-day period of mourning

Dec. 17, 1936: Jorge Mario Bergoglio is born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the eldest of five children to Mario Jose Bergoglio, an accountant from Italy, and Regina María Sívori, the daughter of Italian immigrants.

Dec. 13, 1969: Ordained a priest with the Jesuit religious order, which he would lead as Argentina provincial superior during the country’s murderous dictatorship that began in the 1970s.

May 20, 1992: Named auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires and in 1998 succeeds Cardinal Antonio Quarracino as archbishop of the Argentine capital.

Feb. 21, 2001: Elevated to cardinal by St. John Paul II.

EXPLAINED: The rites and rituals following the death of a pope, his funeral and burial, explained

May 2007: Helps draft the final document of the fifth meeting of the Latin American bishops conference in Aparecida, Brazil, synthesising what would eventually become his concerns as pope for the poor, Indigenous peoples and the environment and the need for a missionary church.

March 13, 2013: Elected 266th pope, the first from the Americas, the first Jesuit and the first to take the name of Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi.

April 13, 2013: Creates a kitchen cabinet of eight cardinals from around the globe to help him govern the church and reorganise its bureaucracy.

May 12, 2013: Canonizes the “Martyrs of Otranto,” 813 Italians slain in 1480 for defying demands by Turkish invaders to convert to Islam. With one ceremony, Francis nearly doubled the 480 saints made by St. John Paul II over his quarter-century pontificate, which at the time was more than all his predecessors combined for 500 years.

July 8, 2013: Makes first trip outside Rome to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa to meet with newly arrived migrants and denounces the “globalisation of indifference” shown to would-be refugees.

July 30, 2013: Declares “Who am I to judge?” when asked about a gay priest during a news conference, signalling a more welcoming stance toward LGBTQ+ community.

Nov. 26, 2013: Issues mission statement for his papacy in Evangelii Gaudium, (“The Joy of the Gospel”), denouncing the world financial system that excludes the poor and declaring the Eucharist is “not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.”

May 25, 2014: Makes an unscheduled stop to pray at wall separating Israel from West Bank town of Bethlehem, in a show of support for the Palestinian cause.

June 8, 2014: Hosts Israeli and Palestinian presidents for peace prayers in the Vatican gardens.

March 20, 2015: Accepts the resignation of the “rights and privileges” of Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien after adult men accuse him of sexual misconduct.

June 18, 2015: Issues his environmental manifesto “Laudato Si” (“Praised Be”), calling for a cultural revolution to correct the “structurally perverse” global economic system that exploits the poor and has turned Earth into “an immense pile of filth."

July 10, 2015: Apologises in Bolivia for the sins and crimes of the Catholic Church against Indigenous peoples during the colonial-era conquest of the Americas.

Sept. 8, 2015: Overhauls the annulment process to make it faster, cheaper and simpler so divorced Catholics can remarry in the church.

Sept. 24, 2015: Challenges Congress to rediscover America’s ideals by acting on climate change, immigration and poverty reduction in the first speech by a pope at the US Capitol.

Nov. 29, 2015: Inaugurates the Jubilee of Mercy by opening the Holy Door of the cathedral in Bangui, Central African Republic, rather than at the Vatican.

Feb. 12, 2016: Meets Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill during a stopover in Havana and declares “We are brothers,” in first such meeting between a pope and patriarch in over 1,000 years.

Feb. 18, 2016: Prays for dead migrants at the US-Mexico border, later says then-presidential candidate Donald Trump is “not a Christian” for wanting to build a border wall.

April 8, 2016: Opens the way to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion in a footnote to the document “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”).

April 16, 2016: Visits a refugee camp in Lesbos, Greece, and brings 12 Syrian Muslims to Rome aboard his papal plane in an appeal for solidarity toward migrants.

Sept. 19, 2016: Is questioned in a letter by four conservative cardinals seeking clarification of his opening to divorced and remarried Catholics.

Dec. 1, 2017: Declares at a meeting in Bangladesh with Myanmar Rohingya refugees that, “The presence of God today is also called Rohingya.”

Jan. 19, 2018: Accuses sex abuse victims of slander during a visit to Chile, further undermining Catholic Church’s credibility. Subsequently orders a Vatican investigation into Chile’s abuse crisis.

April 12, 2018: Admits to “grave errors” in judgment in Chile’s sex abuse scandal. Later summons Chilean bishops to Rome to secure their resignations and invites abuse victims to Vatican to apologise.

Aug. 3, 2018: Declares capital punishment “inadmissible” under all circumstances in a change to official church teaching.

July 28, 2018: Accepts the resignation of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick from the College of Cardinals, orders him to penance and prayer pending an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct with minors and adults.

Aug. 26, 2018: Retired Vatican ambassador Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano publishes bombshell accusation claiming US and Vatican officials for two decades covered up McCarrick’s sexual misconduct, demands Francis resign.

Sept. 22, 2018: Vatican and China sign landmark agreement over bishop nominations.

Oct. 14, 2018: Canonizes slain Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Romero after his saint-making process was held up for decades by conservative cardinals.

Feb. 4, 2019: Signs the “Human Fraternity” document with the imam of Al Azhar, establishing collaborative relations between Catholics and Muslims.

Feb. 16, 2019: Defrocks McCarrick after Vatican investigation finds he sexually abused minors and adults.

Feb. 21, 2019: Opens first Vatican summit on child protection, warns bishops the faithful demand action, not just condemnation of clergy sexual abuse.

May 9, 2019: Issues new church law requiring clergy sex abuse to be reported in-house, although not to police; establishes procedures for investigating accused bishops, cardinals and religious superiors.

Oct. 25, 2019: Apologises to Amazonian bishops, tribal leaders after conservative activists steal Indigenous statues from Vatican-area church and throw them into Tiber River in show of opposition to the pope.

Nov. 24, 2019: Declares the use and possession of nuclear weapons “immoral” during a visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

Dec. 17, 2019: Abolishes use of “pontifical secret” in clergy sex abuse cases, allowing bishops to share internal documentation about abusers with law enforcement.

Feb. 12, 2020: Declines to approve ordination of married men as priests after appeals from Amazonian bishops, sidestepping issue in document “Querida Amazonia” (“Beloved Amazon”).

March 27, 2020: Delivers solitary evening prayer to the world facing the coronavirus pandemic from the promenade of St. Peter’s Square.

Oct. 4, 2020: Issues encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” (“Brothers All,”), arguing the pandemic proves theories of market capitalism failed and a new type of politics is needed to promote human fraternity.

Nov. 10, 2020: Vatican report into McCarrick finds Vatican, US bishops, cardinals and popes played down or dismissed reports of sexual misconduct but spares Francis.

March 5-8, 2021: Becomes first pope to visit Iraq, meeting with its top Shiite Muslim cleric.

July 4, 2021: Undergoes intestinal surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, has 33 centimetres (13 inches) of colon removed.

Jan. 5, 2023: Presides at funeral Mass for Pope Benedict XVI.

Jan. 24, 2023: Declares in an Associated Press interview that “Being homosexual is not a crime.”

March 29, 2023: Is admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital for respiratory infection; is released April 1.

June 7, 2023: Undergoes surgery to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in the abdominal wall.

Oct. 4, 2023: Opens a synod on making the church more responsive to ordinary faithful during which women are allowed to vote alongside bishops for the first time.

Nov. 28, 2023: Cancels visit to Dubai to address U.N. climate conference and outline a new ecological manifesto “Laudate Deum” ("Praise God") because of a new case of acute bronchitis.

Dec. 16, 2023: Vatican tribunal convicts Cardinal Angelo Becciu of embezzlement and sentences him to five and a half years in prison in one of several verdicts in a complicated financial trial that aired the city state’s dirty laundry and tested its justice system.

Dec. 19, 2023: Approves blessings for same-sex couples provided they don't resemble marriage, sparking fierce opposition from conservative bishops in Africa, Asia and elsewhere.

July 5, 2024: Vatican excommunicates leading Francis critic Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano for schism.

Sept. 10, 2024: Some 600,000 people, half of East Timor's population, attend Francis' Mass in Dili in what is believed to be the biggest turnout for a papal event in terms of the proportion of the population.

IN PICTURES: The life of the first Latin American pope

Dec. 26, 2024: Opens the holy door of Rome's Rebibbia prison, two days after formally inaugurating the 2025 Jubilee.

Jan. 16, 2025: Appears wearing a sling after a fall that bruised his right arm, just weeks after another apparent fall bruised his chin.

Feb. 14, 2025: Is hospitalised after a bout of bronchitis worsens and then develops into a complex lung infection and double pneumonia.

Feb. 28, 2025: His doctors briefly consider suspending treatment after a breathing crisis but decides instead on an aggressive course that risks organ damage.

March 13, 2025: Marks the 12th anniversary of his election as pope while hospitalised.

March 23, 2025: Is released from the hospital after 38 days of treatment but looked weak and frail earlier that day when appearing on a balcony to greet the crowd below.

April 17, 2025: Still recovering from double pneumonia, Francis keeps his Holy Thursday tradition of spending time with the least fortunate, visiting inmates at Rome's Regina Caeli prison. Although he says he couldn’t perform the ritual of washing the feet of 12 people in a gesture of humility, he adds he wanted to be with them and “do what Jesus did on Holy Thursday.”

April 20, 2025: Emerged from his convalescence on to bless the thousands of people in St Peter's Square, treating them to a surprise popemobile romp through the piazza, drawing wild cheers and applause as he continues his recovery from a near-fatal bout of double pneumonia.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on December 17, 1936. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 before being inaugurated as Pope Francis in 2013.