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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
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RFI

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff dies, aged 88

FILE - Pope Francis waves as he arrives for his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall, at the Vatican, 12 February, 2025 © Alessandra Tarantino / AP

Pope Francis, the unconventional and outspoken pontiff who inspired widespread devotion but riled traditionalists, died on Monday aged 88. Born Jorge Bergoglio, Francis was the first Jesuit to lead the world's almost 1.4 billion Catholics and the first from the Americas.

The Argentine pontiff, leader of the Catholic Church since March 2013, spent 38 days being treated for double pneumonia at Rome's Gemelli hospital before seeming to recover and leaving the facility on 23 March.

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