Summary
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Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died aged 88
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There’s palpable shock at the Vatican, where the Pope had addressed crowds at an Easter Sunday service, Sofia Bettiza reports
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Tributes pour in from world leaders, including from King Charles, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, and JD Vance, who briefly met the Pope on Sunday
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The Vatican confirmed the pontiff died at 07:35 local time on Monday; he was recently discharged from hospital after weeks of treatment for an infection
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What happens next? We look at the papal funeral and the election of a new pope.
Mourners speak of Pope’s humanity, warmth and moral leadership
When you ask people gathered in St Peter’s Square what Pope Francis meant to them, you hear the same words over and over.
They speak of his humanity, of his warmth and of his moral leadership.
Wherever he went around the world he was greeted with tremendous enthusiasm, just as he was here yesterday, for his last public appearance.
In St Peter’s Square, crowds continue to gather
In the next hour, a rosary prayer will be recited for the late Pope Francis.
As daylight shines down on St Peter’s Square, crowds are gathering – we’re expecting the prayer service to begin at 19:30 local time (18:30 BST).
The Pope’s death has prompted an outpouring of grief from Catholics around the world. BBC reporters have been gathering some of the reaction:
South America
Pope Francis was from Argentina – but he never returned to the country after becoming Pope, with a friend of his telling the BBC that he felt he risked becoming a source of division there.
Africa
In the South Sudanese capital Juba, Nichola Mandil has been reflecting on Francis’s efforts to achieve peace. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s faithful – which make up 15% of the population – share their hopes for a papal visit from his successor.
Asia
The Philippines has the largest Catholic population in Asia and the third-biggest in the world – one archbishop said he had “made us feel the love of God”. People in the region have also been recalling his 12-day tour last September, which took in countries including Singapore and Indonesia.
Middle East
In the occupied West Bank, Palestinian Christians tell the BBC what his visits and support meant to them.
Europe
Poland is one of the most religious countries on the continent, with more than 71% of people identifying as Catholic. Mourners gathered at Warsaw’s main cathedral describe the pontiff as a “humble man”, “special” and “open-minded”.
