Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at the age of 88, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday.

He was 88, and had suffered various ailments in his 12-year papacy.

“This morning at 7.35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in the statement.

On Sunday, Pope Francis called for freedom of thought and tolerance in his Easter Sunday address. 

After giving his Easter greeting to the crowd, estimated at more than 35,000 people, from the basilica’s balcony, Francis delegated the reading of his traditional ‘Urbi et Orbi’ (To the City and the World) benediction to an associate.

Pope Francis was released from the hospital on March 23, after five weeks of treatment for pneumonia.

For the first time since becoming pope in 2013, Francis missed most Holy Week events, such as Friday's Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum and Easter vigil at Saint Peter's Basilica, where he delegated his duties to cardinals.

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