As it happened: Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church dies at 88

That’s where we will wrap up tonight’s blog. Please join us across here for Tuesday’s ongoing coverage of the death of 88-year-old Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church.

Here is a quick recap of events so far:

• The Vatican said Pope Francis died at 7.35am (local time) on Monday. He had recently been seriously ill and had been recovering following hospitalisation for pneumonia.
• The Vatican said plans for Pope Francis’ funeral would be announced on Tuesday. A funeral must take place four to six days after a pope’s death.
• Following the Pope’s death, cardinals from around the world will now descend on Rome to choose a new pope.
• Leaders from around the world have paid tribute to Francis, who was widely seen as a reforming pope.

• Francis was the first pope to be born or raised outside Europe in 12 centuries, the first from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the role. You can read a full obituary here.

A reminder that our coverage continues over here throughout Tuesday.

Our photographic team collated some of the best images of Pope Francis after the Vatican on Monday announced the pontiff’s death.

You can view the gallery below.

It’s still only morning – just after 9.40am – in Brazil, where President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has declared seven days of mourning for Pope Francis.

“Humanity loses today a voice of respect and welcome for others,” Lula said in a statement.

“May God comfort those who today, everywhere in the world, suffer the pain of this enormous loss. In his memory and in homage to his work, I decree a seven-day mourning in Brazil.”

Brazil has the largest number of Catholics of any country.

A crowd of some 3 million faithful turned out at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for a prayer vigil on the final night of Francis’ visit as Pope in 2013.

Reuters

US President Donald Trump has used his social media site Truth Social to post a tribute to Pope Francis.

Trump posted: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”

The US president joins a host of world leaders to have paid tribute to the Pope since the Vatican announced his death.

The White House had earlier posted to its official accounts in honour of Pope Francis.

US Vice President J.D. Vance had been among the last world leaders to meet the Pope, having visited the Vatican over the Easter weekend.

The first formal liturgical ritual for Francis will occur at 8pm on Monday (4am Tuesday, AEST), with the confirmation of the Pope’s death and the placement of the body in the coffin.

The Vatican released the announcement from Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the master of liturgical ceremonies. The presiding prelate is Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo who has taken over the administration of the Holy See and will remain in charge until a new pope is elected.

Those invited to attend the ceremony, which will take place in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where Francis lived, are the dean of the College of Cardinals, any relatives of the Pope, and the director and vice director of the Vatican’s health department.

According to the new rites and rituals Francis approved last year, his body will remain in the chapel for a few days before being brought for public viewing in St Peter’s Basilica. After that, there will be the funeral and conclave to elect a new pope.

AP

The Women’s Ordination Conference shared a note of criticism about Pope Francis, saying they were frustrated by his unwillingness to push for the ordination of women.

“While we will continue to experience the gifts of Pope Francis’ openness to reform, we lament that this did not extend to an openness to the possibility of women in ordained ministry,” the conference said.

“His repeated ‘closed-door’ policy on women’s ordination was painfully incongruous with his otherwise pastoral nature, and for many, a betrayal of the synodal, listening church he championed. This made him a complicated, frustrating, and sometimes heartbreaking figure for many women.”

It said it had long prayed that Francis would be transformed by the testimonies of women sharing their sincere calls from God to ordained ministry and guide the church toward embracing the fullness of women’s equality.

“Yet when it came to the topic of women in ministry, he seemed stuck in bad theology and outdated tropes.”

AP