Preparations for the papal conclave to elect his successor will begin following the customary period of mourning.

In recent years, Pope Francis made several controversial statements about the Israel-Hamas conflict.

By JNS

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died Monday morning at the Vatican at the age of 88.

He passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time, according to the Vatican.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis became the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas when elected in 2013. His papacy was marked by reform efforts, calls for social justice and outreach to marginalized communities. He also faced mounting criticism over the Church’s response to clerical abuse scandals.

In recent years, Pope Francis made several controversial statements about the Israel-Hamas conflict. He condemned the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack but later called for a ceasefire and criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Jewish groups, including Israeli officials and U.S. Jewish organizations, sharply criticized the pope for what they described as moral equivalency between Hamas and Israel.

Despite ongoing health issues, including a February hospitalization for pneumonia, Francis appeared publicly at Easter Mass on April 20.

Preparations for the papal conclave to elect his successor will begin following the customary period of mourning.