Watch live: Tributes and ceremonies following death of Pope Francis

Pope Francis, the former Argentinian cardinal who often bucked age-old Vatican traditions in favor of more modern yet humble approaches, died after an extended respiratory illness on April 21, the Vatican confirmed. He was 88 years old.

The pope, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrant parents, was the first pope from the Americas and the first born outside of Europe in over a millennia.

Francis died of a stroke and irreversible heart failure, Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli said in a death certificate released April 21. The certificate, which was published by the Vatican, said the pope had fallen into a coma before his death early that day. The Vatican also said Francis had relayed in a final statement his wishes to be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.