The World Mourned Pope Francis

Tributes poured in from around the world today after the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had died at 88.Tearful mourners gathered in St.

Peter’s Square and Buenos Aires, his birthplace.Candles were lit in New York, New Delhi, Jerusalem and Nairobi.

Catholics offered prayers from churches in London, Seoul and Kyiv.Francis, according to the Vatican, died in his home after a cerebral stroke.His health had been declining, but he kept busy, against his doctors’ orders, until his final day: Just hours before his death, Francis appeared in his wheelchair to bless the faithful on Easter Sunday.

The Vatican said he had asked to be buried in a simple tomb, “without particular decoration” and with only the inscription: “Franciscus.”Our obituary traces Francis’ extraordinary life: Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he rose from modest means in Argentina to become the first Jesuit and Latin American pope.He clashed bitterly with traditionalists, and he used his 12-year pontificate to make the Catholic Church more inclusive.

He also opened space for debate, and catalyzed the Catholic right in the U.S.“Pope Francis was a pope of surprises,” Jason Horowitz, our Rome bureau chief, said.

“He defied expectations for the church he led, and the world he cared so much about, but he was also deeply consistent on the issues he cared most about: migrants, the environment and inequality.He made important changes within the church, but on the global stage, I think his voice on those priorities may be most missed.”For more: Here are the images that helped define his papacy and a timeline of some of the most important moments of his life.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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