Heartbreaking news has come from the Vatican – Pope Francis has died suddenly at the age of 88, Reuters reports. According to available information, the pontiff passed away in his residence at Casa Santa Marta.

«This morning at 7:35 (5:35 GMT), the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father», announced Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement released by the Vatican.

The news came as a global shock, as just yesterday Francis had called for freedom of thought and tolerance in his Easter Sunday address.Reports indicate that the Pope had been in poor health lately, having recently suffered from bilateral pneumonia.

Pope Francis had held the Apostolic See since 2013. He was the first Jesuit Pope and the first ever from the New World. Jorge Mario Bergoglio – the pontiff’s birth name – was born in Buenos Aires to a family of Italian immigrants. He was originally trained as a chemical technician before pursuing a theological education.

Photo: Instagram @franciscus