The
Catholic
Church
has
lost
its
leader.
Pope
Francis
(born
Jorge
Mario
Bergoglio)
died
on
April
21
at
age
88,
the
Vatican
confirmed.
“At
7:35
this
morning,
the
Bishop
of
Rome,
Francis,
returned
to
the
house
of
the
Father,”
Cardinal
Kevin
Farrell
said
in
a
statement,
obtained
by
NBC
News. “He
taught
us
to
live
the
values
of
the
Gospel
with
faithfulness,
courage,
and
universal
love,
especially
in
favor
of
the
poorest
and
the
marginalized.”
His
passing
comes
two
months
after
his
hospitalization
for
respiratory
problems.
The
pontiff
was
initially
admitted
to
the
Agostino
Gemelli
Polyclinic
in
Rome
on
Feb.
14
to
treat
for
lingering
symptoms
of
bronchitis,
but
was
later
diagnosed
with
pneumonia
in
both
lungs.
“The
laboratory
examinations,
thoracic
x-ray
and
clinical
conditions
of
the
Holy
Father
continue
to
present
a
complex
picture,”
a
Feb.
18
statement
from
the
Holy
See
Press
Office
read,
explaining
CT
scans
showed
a “polymicrobial
infection
of
the
respiratory
tract”
and
an “onset
of
bilateral
pneumonia
that
required
further
drug
therapy.”
On
Feb.
22,
the
Vatican
said
additional
testing
showed “thrombocytopenia,
associated
with
anemia,
which
required
the
administration
of
blood
transfusions”
amid
Francis’ “critical
condition.”
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