Pope Francis, head of the Catholic church, is dead.

In a statement, the Vatican said the pope “died on Easter Monday at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta“.

He was 88 years of age.

Cardinal Farrell, camerlengo of the Catholic church, said the pope passed away at 7:35am.

“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7.35am, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” Farrell said.

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church.

“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalized.

“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and True God.”

On Easter Sunday, the pope was pictured greeting crowds from the gallery of St Peter’s Basilica after celebrating mass with the faithful.

Pope Francis had been battling bilateral pneumonia and was discharged from hospital on March 23.

He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936.

Francis earned a chemical technician’s diploma before entering the Jesuit novitiate in March 1958.

He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969.

On March 13, 2013, Francis became pope aged 76, succeeding Benedict XVI, the first pope in 600 years to resign from office.