Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor, died Monday. He was 88.

The Associated Press reported that bells tolled in churches from his native Argentina to the Philippines and across Rome as news spread around the world.

“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said Monday from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived.

Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy.

He made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday — a day before his death — to bless thousands in St. Peter’s Square, drawing cheers and applause. Beforehand, he met U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

Francis became the 266th pope on March 13, 2013.

Born Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the eldest of five children of Italian immigrants.

He said he received his religious calling at 17 while going to confession, recounting in a 2010 biography that, “I don’t know what it was, but it changed my life. … I realized that they were waiting for me.”

Belleville Bishop Michael McGovern said Pope Francis “displayed the heart of a good shepherd in his outreach to the poor and suffering of the world. He worked tirelessly to promote peace and reconciliation at every level of life.”