President Donald Trump took to social media Monday morning to offer condolences for Pope Francis.
The pope died Monday, the Vatican confirmed. He was 88.
"Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!" Trump posted on Truth Social.
The Vatican announced the pope's death in a video statement. He had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.
Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, served during an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the hidebound institution.
"Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis," Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican's TV channel.
"At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father."
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, surprising many Church watchers who had seen the Argentine cleric, known for his concern for the poor, as an outsider.
He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his "psychological health."
Reuters contributed to this story.
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