Pope Francis: A life in pictures

Pope Francis has died at the age of 88, bringing an end to his 12 years as leader of the Catholic Church.

The pontiff was released from hospital last month after a bout of bronchitis led to double pneumonia.

The Vatican announced his death on Easter Monday, with Cardinal Kevin Farrell writing: "At 7.35am this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father."

He was in hospital for a total of five weeks from 14 February, but still spent his final few Sundays among the people in St Peter's Square in The Vatican.

The pontiff was driven through the crowds in St Peter's Square in a popemobile on Easter Sunday, where people stretched out their hands as he went by.

Pope Francis tours St. Peter's Square in his popemobile after bestowing the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and to the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Image:He waves in St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday. Pic: AP
The Pope blesses a baby as he travels around St Peter's Square in his Popemobile
Image:He blessed a baby as he travelled around St Peter's Square

On the same day, he had a meeting with US vice president JD Vance at his residence, Casa Santa Marta.

JD Vance meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican on Easter Sunday. Pic: Vatican Media
Image:JD Vance approaches the pope. Pic: Vatican Media

It marked the third Sunday in a row that the pope had made a public appearance.

Faithfuls had spoken of their hope for the pontiff's full recovery after seeing him on his hospital room's balcony on 23 March, the day he headed back to the Vatican.

Pope Francis appears in public for the first time in five weeks, ahead of his discharge from the Gemelli Hospital in Rome on 23 March 2025. Pic: Vatican Media via Reuters
Image:Pope Francis waves to the public from his hospital balcony on 23 March. Pic: Vatican Media/Reuters

Francis invited the medical team that saved his life to the Vatican on Wednesday, 16 April and thanked them.

Pope Francis meets with personnel from Gemelli hospital and Vatican medical staff.
Pic: Vatican Media/Reuters
Image:His meeting with personnel from Gemelli hospital and Vatican medical staff. Pic: Vatican Media/Reuters

It was a warm gesture typical of the 266th pope.

Here are some other iconic pictures of the pope throughout his life.

FILE - This undated file photo mMario ade available by Maria Helena Bergoglio shows Jorge Mario Bergoglio as a teenager in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Bergoglio family photo via AP, File)
Image:The pope, whose birth name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, as a teenager in Argentina. Pic: AP
Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio poses in this undated handout photo courtesy of Clarin. Pope Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, delivered his first blessing to a huge crowd in St Peter's Square on the night of March 13, 2013, asking for the prayers of "all men and women of good will" to help him lead the Catholic Church. REUTERS/Clarin/Handout (ARGENTINA - Tags: RELIGION HEADSHOT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
Image:The then priest in 1973. Pic: Reuters
An undated photograph of a young Pope Francis (Centre, Top Row) in Argentina
Image:An undated photograph of a young Pope Francis (centre, top row) with his family in Argentina. Pic: AP
FILE - In this 2008 file photo, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, second from left, travels on the subway in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Image:Then-cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, second from left, travels on the subway in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2008. Pic: AP
Then Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina washes and kisses the feet of patients of the Hogar de Cristo shelter for drug users, during a Holy Thursday mass in the Parque Patricios neighborhood of Buenos Aires, March 20, 2008. Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, who has become the first pope born outside Europe in 1,300 years, quietly left the Vatican early on March 14, 2013, barely 12 hours after his election to pray for guidance as he looks to usher a Roman Catholic Church mired in intrigue and
Image:In Argentina, the then-cardinal washes and kisses the feet of patients of a shelter for drug users during a Holy Thursday mass. Pic: Reuters
Pope Francis arrives in Saint Peter's Square for his inaugural mass at the Vatican March 19, 2013. Pope Francis celebrates his inaugural mass on Tuesday among political and religious leaders from around the world and amid a wave of hope for a renewal of the scandal-plagued Roman Catholic Church. REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito (VATICAN - Tags: RELIGION POLITICS)
Image:Francis arrives for his inaugural mass at the Vatican on 19 March 2013. Pic: Reuters
Pope Francis takes part in his inaugural mass in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, March 19, 2013. Pope Francis celebrated his inaugural mass on Tuesday among political and religious leaders from around the world and amid a wave of hope for a renewal of the scandal-plagued Roman Catholic Church.   REUTERS/Paul Hanna (VATICAN - Tags: RELIGION POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Image:Pope Francis takes part in his inaugural mass. Pic: Reuters
Pope Francis meets Pope emeritus Benedict XVI in 2013
Image:Pope Francis meets Pope emeritus Benedict XVI in 2013. Pic: AP
FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis releases a white dove prior to delivering a Holy Mass at the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul November 29, 2014. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov/File Photo
Image:Francis releases a white dove prior to delivering a Holy Mass in Istanbul in 2014. Pic: Reuters
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip present gifts to Pope Francis during a meeting at the Vatican in 2014.
Pic Reuters
Image:Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip present gifts to Pope Francis during a meeting at the Vatican in 2014. Pic: Reuters
FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis waves at the end of the Palm Sunday mass at Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, March 20, 2016. REUTERS/Tony Gentile/File Photo
Image:Francis waves at the end of the Palm Sunday mass at Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican in 2016. Pic: Reuters
Pic: AP
Image:The pope with former US president Barack Obama. Pic: AP
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Pope Francis meet at the Vatican, May 24, 2017. REUTERS/Evan Vucci/Pool/File Photo
Image:Donald Trump meets the pope in May 2017. Pic: Reuters
FILE - Pope Francis twirls a soccer ball he was presented by a member of the Circus of Cuba, during his weekly general audience in the Pope Paul VI hall, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, file)
Image:Francis twirls a football he was presented by a member of the Circus of Cuba at the V