Dar es Salaam, April 22 -- VATICAN: 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 Romes Gemelli University 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 Peters Square and delivered a blessing through an aide.

The death of the 266th pope has sparked tributes from across the world: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mourned the loss of “a great man, a great shepherd” and expressed deep sorrow.

“I had the pr...