India, April 21 -- Pope Francis, history's first Latin American pontiff, often called the pope of the slums due to his concern for the poor and critique of capitalism, died on Monday at the age of 88 after a prolonged illness.

As the world grieves Pope Francis's passing today, his final Easter message, which pleaded for peace and freedom, now stands as a profound farewell to the world.

Released on Sunday, on the occasion of Easter, from the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where Catholics and Orthodox celebrated Easter together this year, his message called for the end of the Ukraine war and peace in the entire world.

"There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of ...