Pope Francis: Pope dies aged 88 less than 24 hours after Easter Sunday appearance

Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell said on Monday: “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.

“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised.

“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.″

The Archbishop of York has paid tribute to Pope Francis as “holy man of God” who was “also very human”.

“Francis’s whole life and ministry was centred on Jesus who comes among us not to be served, but to serve,” Stephen Cottrell said in a statement posted to X.

“We saw that compellingly in Francis’s service of the poor his love of neighbour, especially the displaced, migrant; the asylum seeker, his deep compassion for the well-being of the earth and his desire to lead and build the church in new ways.”

Acknowledging the pontiff’s efforts in working alongside the Church of England despite “division” with the Catholic Church, Mr Cottrell recalled Pope Francis’ historic trip to South Sudan in 2023 alongside former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Moderator of the Church of Scotland Reverend Dr Iain Greenshields.

“Pope Francis was acutely aware of the divisions between our churches and how they stand in the way of seeing Jesus Christ more fully,” said Mr Cottrell.

“I remember, in the brief times spent with him, how this holy man of God, was also very human.

“He was witty, lively, good to be with, and the warmth of his personality and interest in others shone out from him.”