Among Pope Francis' last words were "thank you" to his personal nurse, for encouraging him to greet crowds in St. Peter's Square one last time.

The pope's death comes one day after Francis, 88, greeted Easter Sunday crowds in his popemobile. He had battled a respiratory infection for weeks.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died aged 88 He died of stroke and subsequent irreversible heart failure, the Vatican says in a statement