Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, has died aged 88, the Vatican says.

His death on Monday came shortly after a bout of double pneumonia that kept him hospitalised for five weeks at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.

Just a day earlier, the pontiff made what would be his final major appearance as he greeted thousands of Easter worshippers from an open-top Popemobile in St Peter’s Square and delivered a blessing through an aide.

The death of the 266th pope prompted tributes from across the world:

Italy

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mourned the loss of “a great man, a great shepherd” and expressed deep sorrow.

“I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice, his teachings, which never ceased, not even during times of trial and suffering,” she said. “We say goodbye to the holy father with a heart full of sadness.”

Italy’s football authorities postponed matches scheduled for Monday.

Argentina

The presidency office “deeply regretted” the death of the first Argentinian leader of the Catholic Church. President Javier Milei, who previously clashed with the pope, praised Francis’s focus on interreligious dialogue, encouragement of spirituality among the young, and focus on cost-cutting in the Vatican.

European Union

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Francis’s life was defined by his efforts to build a fairer and more peaceful world. “He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate,” she said.

United States

The White House shared a tribute on social media, writing “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis” alongside a photo of the pope meeting President Donald Trump and the first lady. In a separate post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”

Vice President JD Vance, who met the pope on Sunday, said: “My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.”

Russia

President Vladimir Putin expressed his “sincere condolences”, praising the efforts of Francis to strengthen ties between the Russian Orthodox and Catholic Churches. The Moscow Patriarchate echoed the sentiment, saying the late pontiff had played a key role in advancing dialogue between the two branches of Christianity.

India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “Pope Francis will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the world. He diligently served the poor and downtrodden. For those who were suffering, he ignited a spirit of hope.”

France

President Emmanuel Macron praised the late pontiff for his enduring solidarity with society’s most vulnerable. “In this time of war and brutality, he had a sense for the other, for the most fragile,” Macron said, commending his humility.

Brazil

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hailed Pope Francis for his work on climate change and social justice. “With his simplicity, his courage and empathy, Francis brought the topic of climate change to the Vatican,” he said. “The pope vigorously criticised the economic models that have brought so much injustice to humanity.”

Mexico

President Claudia Sheinbaum called the passing of Pope Francis a “great loss”, saying it was a “great honour and privilege” to have known him. “A humanist who opted for the poor, peace and equality. He leaves a great legacy of true love for his neighbour. For Catholics and non-Catholics alike, it is a great loss,” she wrote on X.

South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa said, “Catholics and people of all faiths are saddened today by the passing of a spiritual leader who sought to unite humanity.” He praised the pope’s advocacy for inclusion, equality, and environmental stewardship.

Palestinian Authority

President Mahmoud Abbas called Francis a “loyal friend of the Palestinian people” and a “strong defender of peace, love and faith”. He said the pope’s support for Palestinian rights and justice never wavered, noting that Francis “recognised the Palestinian state and authorised the Palestinian flag to be raised in the Vatican”.

Bangladesh

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, leader of Bangladesh’s interim government, called Pope Francis a “true friend and kindred spirit”. He recalled his “profound connection” with the late pontiff, whom he described as a “towering figure of moral clarity, humility, and compassion in our time”.

Philippines

In the Philippines, which boasts Asia’s largest Catholic population, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr called Francis “the best pope in my lifetime”, praising his humility, faith, and compassion for the poor. Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David expressed shock and urged churches to ring their bells and call people to pray for the pope’s “eternal repose”.

Poland

Polish President Andrzej Duda hailed Francis as “a great apostle of mercy”, saying the pontiff’s example offered answers to contemporary challenges. “In his pastoral ministry, he was guided by humility and simplicity.”

Spain

The European country has declared three days of mourning. Justice Minister Felix Bolanos said in a televised address that the country regrets “the death of a good man and a great pope” and praised Francis’s “reformist” papacy that “will leave a legacy for history”.

Australia

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Francis would be mourned by Australians of all faiths, describing him as “a devoted champion and loving father” to Catholics. “His compassion embraced all humanity,” Albanese told ABC News. “He urged us to hear the cry of the earth and remember all we share.”

Ethiopia

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the pope’s passing was a loss not only for Catholics but for humanity. “May his soul rest in eternal peace, and may his legacy of compassion, humility and service to humanity continue to inspire generations to come,” he said.

East Timor

President Jose Ramos-Horta described Francis’s death as a global loss. He announced the nation’s flags would be lowered to half-staff for a week with a mass to follow in tribute to the pope’s life and service.

Egypt

Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church mourned Pope Francis, calling him “a true example of Christian humility”.

Germany

Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, said Francis would be remembered for his unwavering commitment to marginalised groups. “He was guided by humility and faith in God’s mercy,” Merz wrote on X.

Iran

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged Francis’s global spiritual influence. Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran “extends condolences to all Christians around the world”.

Tibet

The Dalai Lama offered Buddhist prayers, writing to the papal envoy to “express his sadness” over the death. “Pope Francis dedicated himself to the service of others … consistently revealing by his own actions how to live a simple, but meaningful life,” he said in a statement from his base in exile in India. “The best tribute we can pay to him is to be a warm-hearted person, serving others wherever and in whatever way we can.”

United Kingdom

King Charles said he was “most deeply saddened”, praising Pope Francis’s “compassion”, commitment to unity, and the environment.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his condolences, saying Francis’s “tireless efforts to promote a world that is fairer for all” would be remembered.

United Nations

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed what he called Pope Francis’s historic influence as a voice for peace and human dignity.

“I join the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, a messenger of hope, humility and humanity,” he said in a statement.

Access to el-Fasher and nearby camps ‘dangerously restricted’, with up to 450,000 people estimated to be on the move.

Aid organisations are struggling to respond to the deepening humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s North Darfur, being driven by attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the United Nations has warned.

The UN humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, said in a statement released late on Sunday that access for humanitarian aid remains “dangerously restricted” in the capital city of el-Fasher and surrounding areas, where the RSF has launched multiple attacks over recent weeks.

Those attacks have triggered a mass exodus from Zamzam, Abu Shouk and other refugee camps, a situation which is “increasingly fluid” and “unpredictable” amid fears that the RSF is preparing a broader offensive.

Two years into its conflict with Sudan’s military government, the RSF attacked Zamzam – said to have sheltered up to 1 million people – and Abu Shouk camps just more than a week ago, killing at least 300 people and forcing up to 400,000 residents to flee 60km (37 miles) across the desert to the town of Tawila.

In her statement, Nkweta-Salami said that up to 450,000 displaced people are being “increasingly cut off from supply chains and assistance, placing them at heightened risk of epidemic outbreaks, malnutrition and famine”.

She called for UN and NGO actors to be granted “immediate and sustained access to these areas to ensure life-saving support can be delivered safely and at scale”.

‘Absolutely catastrophic’

Late last week, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) medical charity said that displaced people in Tawila were “facing an absolutely catastrophic situation”.

“There is no water source, no sanitation facilities and no food,” said the MSF’s Thibault Hendler.

Project coordinator Marion Ramstein said the NGO had seen more than 170 people with gunshot and blast injuries, 40 percent of them women and girls.

New arrivals in Tawila told the AFP news agency that they had been robbed of their possessions by the paramilitaries, with several women reporting that they had been raped on the road.

Tawila is controlled by an armed group that has kept out of the conflict between the RSF and the regular army, which broke out in April 2023.

The conflict has divided Sudan in two, with the army holding sway in the north and east, while the RSF controls most of Darfur and parts of the south.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, uprooted more than 12 million, and created what the UN has described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Oscar Piastri’s victory put Australia on top of the Formula One world championship for the first time since 2010.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri cruised to victory in the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to move atop the driver’s championship after five races on the season.

The 24-year-old became the first driver this season to win while not starting on the pole, and he comfortably finished the race ahead of runner-up Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who was given a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in the opening lap of the race on Sunday.

Charles Leclerc finished third to give Ferrari its first podium of the season. Piastri’s McLaren teammate Lando Norris finished fourth, while Mercedes’s George Russell finished fifth and Kimi Antonelli was sixth.

With his third victory of the season, and second consecutive after winning at Bahrain last week, Piastri becomes the first driver from Australia to lead the drivers’ championship standings since Mark Webber in 2010. It is the first time Piastri has led the drivers’ standings in his F1 career.

Piastri, who began the race from second position on the starting grid, ultimately took the lead on the 6.1km (3.8-mile) track after Verstappen served his five-second penalty during a pit stop on Lap 22. He finished off his fifth career victory in his 51st start without much of a challenge from Verstappen, crossing the finish line 2.84 seconds ahead of the reigning world champion.

In addition to 2025 race victories in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Piastri also won the second race of the season in China. McLaren has won four of the five races after Norris won the season-opening race in Australia.

Verstappen’s runner-up finish came after he won the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix in two of the last three years.

In the drivers’ championship, Piastri has 99 points to Norris’s 89 and Verstappen’s 87. Champions McLaren stretched their lead over Mercedes in the constructors’ standings to 77 points.