Pope Francis, the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church and a transformative figure in modern religious history, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican announced on April 21. His passing marks the end of a 12-year papacy that challenged traditions, broke barriers, and sought to bring the Catholic Church closer to the world’s most marginalized.

The Vatican confirmed that the pontiff passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo of the Vatican, issued a solemn statement: “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.”

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1936, was the first Latin American pope and the first Jesuit to assume the papacy. His election in March 2013 broke with centuries of European leadership in the Church and signaled a new era of reform, inclusivity, and global outreach.

Despite his declining health in recent years, Francis continued his pastoral mission until the very end. He was last seen in public during the Easter Mass at St. Peter’s Square earlier this month. Although his traditional Easter address was delivered by another cleric due to his frailty, he managed to rise from his wheelchair and wave to the crowd, offering his final public words: “Dear brothers and sisters, happy Easter.”

His health struggles were well-documented in recent months. The Pope had been hospitalized earlier this year with a severe infection that developed into double pneumonia. Though he was discharged in March, the strain of his illness had taken a visible........

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