He died at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta the Vatican has announced.
The pontiff, who was Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church, became pope in 2013 after his predecessor Benedict XVI resigned.
Francis had experienced a string of health worries in recent years and spent 38 days in hospital in February and March this year.
But he recovered enough to leave hospital and just yesterday was greeting crowds on Easter Sunday in St Peter’s Square.
