Pope Francis dies at 88 after prolonged illness: Vatican

Pope Francis died at age 88 after suffering a prolonged illness, the Vatican announced on Monday.

He suffered a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis" associated with thrombocytopenia, according to a previous Vatican statement.

Francis was born in Buenos Aires on Dec. 17, 1936, to Italian immigrant parents.

He studied in Argentina and later in Germany before being ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969.

Over a decade into his papacy, Pope Francis remained a figure of admiration and controversy.

He sought to reform the Vatican's bureaucracy, tackle corruption, and address some of the Church's most pressing challenges.

While he had been hailed for his humility and commitment to social justice, his leadership had also drawn sharp resistance from conservatives within the Church and beyond.