ROME, April 22. /TASS/. Over a dozen countries have declared national mourning over the death of Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, who died on April 21 at the age of 88.
Francis made history as the first Latin American pontiff. As a sign of grief, respect and tribute to the Bishop of Rome, a week of mourning was declared in Jorge Mario Bergoglio's (Francis' name before his election as a pope) homeland of Argentina. He was born in 1936 in Buenos Aires in a family of Italian immigrants.
Argentina was joined by other Latin American countries – Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Venezuela, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama. Spain, Hungary, India and East Timor also declared days of mourning over the pontiff's death, while Italy is expected to do this later on Tuesday.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th head of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013, following the abdication of Benedict XVI (1927-2022). He became the first Jesuit pope and the first to take the name Francis.
A commemoration ceremony for Pope Francis will be held at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The funeral will take place on Saturday, April 26. Francis will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.