The Catholic world is mourning the death of . The announced on the morning of Eastern Monday aged 88, weeks after he started a battle against double pneumonia.

was made by Cardinal Farrell, who stated shortly before 9pm BST: "Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning (local time), the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and 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 marginalised."

Cardinal Farrell added: "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 Triune God."

While faithful and mourners are gathering in St Peter's Square to , widely seen as a reformer and progressive within the Church, the Vatican is preparing for the next steps that will lead to a new head of the Catholic Church being appointed.

Francis's funeral will be held following a period of mourning. Prior to his death, Pope Francis made provisions to simplify the elaborate papal funeral, choosing to be buried in a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc rather than three nested coffins.

The late pope also scrapped the tradition of having his body exposed for public viewing on a raised platform in St Peter's Basilica. His body, instead, will lie inside the coffin, with the lid removed.

In another break with tradition, the burial of Pope Francis will take place outside the Vatican for the first time in over a century - as he will be laid to rest in St Mary Major Basilica.

Following the funeral, the Catholic Church's most senior officials, known as the College of Cardinals will be expected to choose the next leader of the Catholic Church.

The College is made up of 252 cardinals but only 138 cardinals are eligible to vote for the new Pope as those over 80 years of age are able only to contribute to debate.

The cardinals will be summoned to the Sistine Chapel where they will debate and vote on who should be elected as the next leader of the Catholic Church.

The process is done in secret, with the only clue as to how proceedings are going being given by smoke emerging twice a day from the burning of the cardinals' ballot papers.

Black smoke indicates that no agreement has been reached while white smoke informs the world that a new Pope has been elected.

The new Pope will then appear within an hour on the balcony overlooking St Peter's Square, where they will be introduced by their papal name, which may or may not be their birth name.

Pope Francis' birth name for example was Jorge Mario Bergoglio.