Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday, ending an often turbulent reign in which he sought to overhaul an ancient and divided institution.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican has said. "This morning at 07:35 local time (05:35 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father," Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in the statement, which was published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel.