Pope Francis dies at 88

Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the first pontiff from Latin America, has passed away peacefully in the Vatican at the age of 88.

The Holy See confirmed his death in an official statement, noting that he died surrounded by close aides and in the presence of prayer.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, the Pontiff was fondly called 'Lolo Kiko' by Filipinos, who felt a personal connection to his empathetic approach.

His pontificate included a significant pastoral and state visit to the Philippines from January 15-19, 2015.

During his visit, he drew an estimated six million attendees to his concluding Mass at Quirino Grandstand in Manila, considered the largest papal gathering in history.

He also showed solidarity with typhoon survivors by holding Mass in Tacloban, Leyte, and visited Malacañan Palace and Manila Cathedral.