Pope Francis has died at the age of 88.

The Argentinian pontiff had been in hospital earlier this year where he was battling double pneumonia.

News of his death was announced by the Vatican in a video message.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in 1936, he took the name Francis in honour of St Francis of Assisi, who led a humble life of service to the poor, and as a nod to St Francis Xavier, a founding member of the Jesuit Order in the 16th century.

In 2013, he was elected by cardinals to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, who took the world by surprise when he announced that he was abruptly terminating his eight-year papacy.

Pope Francis was the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Western Hemisphere.