BREAKING: Pope Francis is dead

Pope Francis has died, a senior Vatican official has confirmed.

“At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father”, Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a statement on Monday.

He continued, “his entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.

“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised.

“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune,″ Kevin Farell concluded.

The Pope emerged from his convalescence on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

The 88-year-old had recently resumed some official duties during his recovery from pneumonia.

He made his first public appearance since his bout of double pneumonia on April 6, when he appeared in St Peter’s Square in a wheelchair during a special Jubilee Mass for the sick following his discharge from hospital two weeks previously.

“May he soul rest in peace”.