Postcards are seen in St. Peter's Square following the death of Pope Francis, Vatican City, on April 21, 2025. Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88, according to the Holy See. Photo: VCG

Mourners gather in St Peter's Square - located outside St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican - to pay their tributes to the late pontiff Pope Francis, who died on Monday at the age of 88, multiple media outlets including AFP and Reuters reported, citing the Vatican.

"This morning at 7:35 am, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father," said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in the statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel, according to Reuters.

He was 88, and had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia, Reuters reported.

"Just yesterday he was here doing the mass. His death was kind of shocking so we decided to come to the Vatican to show respect. He spoke about gay marriage, which is very different from the Pope before," a visitor said, reported by BBC.

Pope Francis' body could be moved to St Peter's Basilica as early as Wednesday, according to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni. He said a group of cardinals will meet on Wednesday and make a formal decision, BBC reported. 

As the world reacts, a time honored mechanism for selecting his successor will also now begin, according to euronews.

Born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, he had served as the head of the Roman Catholic Church since 2013, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

During Pope Francis' tenure as the head of the Catholic church, China and the Vatican signed a provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops in September 2018, Xinhua reported in 2018.

On October 22, 2020, China and the Vatican decided to extend that agreement for another two years, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said then.

In October 2022, China and the Vatican have agreed to extend a provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops for two years, then Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on October 24, 2022.

The two sides will continue to maintain close communication and consultation, promote the smooth implementation of the provisional agreement, and continue to advance the process of improving bilateral ties, Wang added.

In September 2023, Pope Francis issued a greeting to China as he flew over the country, extending good wishes to all of its people and divine blessings of unity and peace.

When asked to comment on Pope's message, then Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China noted the reports. The greetings from the Vatican embody friendship and goodwill. China and the Vatican have maintained communication in recent years. China would like to continue the constructive dialogue with the Vatican, enhance understanding, build up mutual trust and advance the process of improving the relations between the two sides.

Global Times