Nigeria, April 21 -- The first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Jorge Bergoglio, known as Pope Francis, died Monday at the age of 88.

His death comes a day after his brief but final appearance before thousands of Catholic pilgrims at St. Peter's Square in Rome during the Vatican's Easter Sunday Mass.

During his appearance, he wished the crowd "Happy Easter," and an aide then delivered his final benediction.

There have been concerns over his health for several months, but the concerns grew in the days after 23 March, when he was discharged from the hospital and disregarded doctors' orders by visiting a prison in Rome.

The pontiff faced several health challenges throughout his 12-year papacy, with his condition worsen...