PHOTO COLLECTION: Obit Ethel Kennedy

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

FILE - Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy, left, and Jean Kennedy, sister-in-law and sister, respectively of Patricia Kennedy, enter the Roman Catholic Church of St. Thomas More in New York, April 24, 1954, to attend Patricias wedding to actor Peter Lawford. Ethel Kennedy is at left. (AP Photo/Matty Zimmerman, File)

FILE - Mrs. Ethel Kennedy gives a kiss to her brother-in-law, President-elect John Kennedy, at his Georgetown home, Nov. 27, 1960, in Washington. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin, File)

FILE - Children of three cabinet offices fill the foreground as President John Kennedy and Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy pose with guests at a White House reception in the East Room, Jan 21, 1961. The children are those of Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Postmaster General Edward Day, and Interior Secretary Stewart Udall. Seated on floor, from left: Joe Kennedy, 8, Jimmy Day, 12, Bobby Kennedy, 6, Scott Udall, II, Tommy Udall, 12, Michael Kennedy, 2, and David Kennedy, 5. Four girls at center, from left; Kathleen Kennedy, 9, Courtney Kennedy, 4, Lynn Udall, 10, and Lori Udall, 8. Back row: Robert Kennedy, his wife Ethel, Edward Day, Molly Day, 14, and Mrs. Day. Hidden: Geraldine Day, 17; Mrs. Irma Udall, the First Lady, the president, Vice President Johnson, Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson, Frederick Dutton of White House staff and Adlai Stevenson, ambassador to the United Nations. (AP Photo/William Allen, File)

FILE - U.S. Senator-elect Robert F. Kennedy is shown with his wife Ethel boarding plane, Nov. 4, 1964, in New York City at LaGuardia Airport for flight to Glens Falls, N.Y. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, right, wife Ethel Kennedy, and children, from left, Bobby, Joseph, and Kathleen, second right, pose at Kennedy International Airport in New York, July 1, 1964, shortly after they returned from a one-week trip to West Germany and Poland. (AP Photo/Matty Zimmerman, File)

FILE - Sen. Robert Kennedy poses with his wife Ethel outside the Senate Chamber on Oct. 13, 1965, in Washington. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Ethel Kennedy holds her new son, Douglas Harriman Kennedy, with two-year-old Christopher Kennedy, right, as they leave Georgetown University in Washington, April 13, 1967, for home. (AP Photo/Henry Burroughs, File)

FILE - Mrs. Ethel Kennedy is escorted by her brother-in-law, Senator Edward Kennedy, to their pew in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York for the funeral services of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, June 8, 1968. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - Sen. Edward Kennedy, back, stands behind the widow of former Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Mrs. Ethel Kennedy, second left, with her five children, and his wife Joan, right, as they pause at the grave of assassinated President John F. Kennedy in Arlington National Cemetery, Nov. 20, 1970, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty, File)

FILE - Ethel Kennedy, wife of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, is shown July 27, 1970. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - Ethel Kennedy, widow of Sen. Robert Kennedy, ice skates with youngsters from Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn borough, at the eighth annual Kennedy skating party originated by the late senator at Rockefeller Center's skating rink on Dec. 16, 1972, in New York. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Members of the Kennedy family kneel at the grave site of the late President John F. Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery after they visited the grave of the late Robert F. Kennedy nearby, on the anniversary of his death 16 years ago, June 6, 1984. From left: Emily and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.; Chris Kennedy; Ethel Kennedy; Michael Kennedy and Kathleen Kennedy, the wife and children of Robert Kennedy. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) stands at back. (AP Photo/Barry Thumma, File)

FILE - Sen. Edward Kennedy, from left, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, President Bill Clinton and Ethel Kennedy, right, listen to a remembrance delivered by Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II during a memorial Mass in honor of Robert F. Kennedy on the 25th anniversary of his death at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., June 7, 1993. (AP Photo/Marcy Nighswander, File)

FILE - Ethel Kennedy, from the film "Ethel," poses for a portrait during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Victoria Will, File)

FILE - U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., center, talks with those gathered, including Ethel Kennedy, center, and Rev. Jesse Jackson, on the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge during the 19th annual reenactment of the "Bloody Sunday" Selma to Montgomery civil rights march across the bridge in Selma, Ala., Sunday, March 4, 2012, 47 years after the historic march that led to the Voting Rights Act. (AP Photo/Kevin Glackmeyer, File)

FILE - Ethel Kennedy, left, subject of the HBO documentary "Ethel," poses for a portrait with her daughter Rory Kennedy, the director of the film, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - From left, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Ethel Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, and Mariah Kennedy Cuomo attend the Ripple of Hope Awards, Dec. 11, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Egyptian human rights attorney and women's rights activist Ragia Omran, center, gets a kiss on the cheek from Robert F. Kennedy Center President Kerry Kennedy, right, accompanied by Ethel Kennedy, left, during the presentation of the RFK Human Rights Award, Nov. 21, 2013, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

FILE - Ethel Kennedy, left, and her daughter Kerry Kennedy attend the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award ceremony, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File)

FILE - President Barack Obama awards Ethel Kennedy the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

FILE - Ethel Kennedy holds hands with grandson Joseph P. Kennedy III, left, while Navy Secretary Ray Mabus chats with her daughter Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, as they pose near a rendering of the Robert F. Kennedy Navy Ship named at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

FILE - Navy Secretary Ray Mabus smiles with Ethel Kennedy, widow of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, at the naming of the Robert F. Kennedy Navy Ship at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, in Boston. Ships in this class are being named in honor of civil and human rights heroes. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

FILE - From left, Dolores Huerta, labor leader and civil rights activist, Ethel Kennedy, and civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., are applauded during the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 5, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

PHOTO COLLECTION: Obit Ethel Kennedy

FILE - Ethel Kennedy, widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, watches a video about her late husband during the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights awards ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 5, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

PHOTO COLLECTION: Obit Ethel Kennedy

Pope Francis died Monday, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change.

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, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy.

Here's the latest:

Flags flew at half-staff in overwhelmingly Roman Catholic Italy to mourn the death of Francis on Easter Monday, a public holiday.

The faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, where bells tolled in mourning.

Sister Monica Gonzales, who was visiting from Mexico, called Francis’ death “a great loss for the church and for the whole world. A pope who worked so hard for peace, and for the good of all. Let’s all pray for him.”

Eva Bonnano, from Philadelphia, called it “a very sad day. It is honestly impressive, I think, that he made it to Easter, I think that is almost like a miracle for Italy.”

Johann Xavier said he had traveled from Australia, hoping to see the pope during his visit. “But then we heard about it when we came in here. It pretty much devastated all of us. It is really sad,’’ he said.

In a letter of condolences, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted the pope’s international clout as a “consistent defender of the high values of humanism and justice.”

Putin said that the pope “actively encouraged the development of a dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches, as well as constructive interaction between Russia and the Holy See.”

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country grieves together with Catholics and all Christians who looked to Francis for spiritual support.

“He knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity. He prayed for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians. Eternal memory!” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement that Francis will long be remembered for his outreach to those on the margins of the church and society.

“He renewed for us the mission to bring the Gospel out to the ends of the earth and offer divine mercy to all,” he said.

“Recently, he expressed anew prayerful hope in his letter of support to the bishops of this country in our attempts to respond to the face of Christ in the migrant, poor, and unborn. In fact, he has always used the strongest and clearest expressions in the defense of the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described Francis as a courageous leader who reached out to people all beliefs around the world.

Starmer says Francis’ leadership in a “complex and challenging time’’ stemmed from the pontiff’s deep humility.

“Pope Francis was a pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten,’’ Starmer says in a statement. “He was close to the realities of human fragility, meeting Christians around the world facing war, famine, persecution and poverty. Yet he never lost hope of a better world.’’

Shortly after noon Rome time, the great bells of St. Peter’s Basilica began tolling to mark Francis’ death. Tourists in the square stopped in their tracks to record the moment on their phones.

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry — a U.S.-based group advocating for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Catholic Church — thanked Pope Francis for his outreach.

“With simple words and gentle gestures, Pope Francis powerfully moved the Catholic Church to become a more welcoming home for LGBTQ+ people,” he said.

“Francis was not only the first pope to use the word ‘gay’ when speaking about LGBTQ+ people, he was the first pope to speak lovingly and tenderly to them. His kind words of welcome to this community, traditionally marginalized in the church, rang loudly around the globe.”

King Charles III praised the late pope for his work on safeguarding the planet, saying he had profoundly touched the lives of many.

In a statement signed “Charles R,’’ the monarch says the pope will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith.

“Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many,’’ Charles said. “The queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month.’’

he pope met privately with Charles and Queen Camilla on April 10 at the Vatican during the royal couple’s four-day state visit to Italy. It was the pope’s first known meeting with a foreign dignitary after he was hospitalized for five weeks with double-pneumonia.

Charles had been scheduled to make a full-scale state visit to the Vatican in conjunction with his tour of Italy, but the visit was postponed due to Francis’ illness. The brief private audience earlier this month was scheduled at the last minute and lasted about 20 minutes.

The Vatican is preparing the first rituals following Francis’ death: The body of the pope is expected to be transferred within the course of the day to the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived, so that Vatican officials can pay their final respects.

There, the head of the Vatican health service examines the body, ascertains the cause of death and writes a report which is expected late Monday.

The body rests in the pope’s personal chapel for the ritual pronouncement of death, presided over by the camerlengo, the Vatican official who runs the Holy See administration between the death or resignation of one pope and the election of another.

For the public, the cardinal archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, is expected to lead a recitation of the Rosary prayer in St. Peter’s Square later Monday.

Bishop Paolo Martinelli, the apostolic vicar of Southern Arabia, issued a statement saying that “all the people in the UAE are greatly saddened by the death of Pope Francis, whom we remember with gratitude for his visit to Abu Dhabi in 2019.”

He asked all parishes to plan a Mass for Francis. The vicariate oversees the Catholic Church in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, called Francis “a great leader whose compassion and commitment to peace touched countless lives.”

“His legacy of humility and interfaith unity will continue to inspire many communities around the world,” Sheikh Mohammed said in an online message.

Bishop James Ruggieri of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine, said that Francis’ legacy will be “one of mercy and compassion, but also of hope. In this Jubilee Year, may we honor Pope Francis by carrying on his mission and living as pilgrims of hope.”

Dutch Cardinal Wim Eijk called Francis “a pope of encouragement” and recalled two meetings between Dutch bishops and the pontiff in 2013 and 2022.

He said that Francis “put aside the prepared speech … and really entered into dialogue with us. On both occasions, he appealed powerfully to persevere and not to lose courage. Not to look back in nostalgia, but to look to the future.”

From Buenos Aires, Francis’ hometown, the office of Argentine President Javier Milei expressed condolences and support to all the faithful in the predominately Catholic South American country.

Milei highlighted the “tireless struggle of Francis’ papacy to protect life from conception, promote inter-religious dialogue and bring a spiritual and virtuous life closer to young people,” his office said, describing Argentina as “the land of Pope Francis.”

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the passing of Francis is an irreparable loss to the global community.

Sharif praised Francis as a “pioneer of interfaith harmony, peace, and the promotion of humanity.”

He said under the pope’s leadership, the Catholic Church consistently spread the message of love, tolerance and mutual respect across the world. “Pope Francis’s life and conduct have been a beacon of light — not only for Christians but for people of all faiths.”

The chief rabbi of Rome, Riccardo di Segni, “offered heartfelt condolences to the Catholic world” on the pope’s death on behalf of Rome’s Jewish community.

He said that Francis’ pontificate was an important new chapter in the history of relations between Judaism and Catholicism, “with openings to a dialogue that was sometimes difficult but always respectful.”

“I remember the numerous occasions in which I met him, always marked by sympathy, attention and trust. With my community I express my condolences for his passing and heartfelt condolences to the Catholic world.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences for the death of Francis, saying, “His commitment to peace, social justice, and the most vulnerable leaves a profound legacy.”

In Athens, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis paid tribute to Francis as a religious leader who dedicated his life‘s work to peace and solidarity.

“The faithful of the Roman Catholic Church mourn the loss of their religious leader, and Christians around the world join them in their grief,” Mitsotakis wrote in an online post. “Along with them, every citizen of the earth who believes in peace, friendship, and solidarity also mourns. These are values to which Pope Francis dedicated his life and work.”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who is in India and had met Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, said his “heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him”

“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful,” Vance wrote on X. “May God rest his soul.”

The acting head of the Church of England remembered Pope Francis’ wit, compassion and commitment to improving relations between the world’s religions.

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said Francis’ life was centered on service to the poor, compassion for migrants and asylum-seekers and efforts to protect the environment.

“I remember, in the brief times I spent with him, how this holy man of God was also very human,” Cottrell said in a statement. “He was witty, lively, good to be with, and the warmth of his personality and interest in others shone out from him.”

The Women’s Ordination Conference had been frustrated by Francis’ unwillingness to push for the ordination of women.

“While we will continue to experience the gifts of Pope Francis’ openness to reform, we lament that this did not extend to an openness to the possibility of women in ordained ministry,” the conference said.

“His repeated ‘closed door’ policy on women’s ordination was painfully incongruous with his otherwise pastoral nature, and for many, a betrayal of the synodal, listening church he championed. This made him a complicated, frustrating, and sometimes heart-breaking figure for many women,” it said.

It said it had long prayed that Francis would be transformed by the testimonies of women sharing their sincere calls from God to ordained ministry and guide the church toward embracing the fullness of women’s equality. “Yet when it came to the topic of women in ministry, he seemed stuck in bad theology and outdated tropes.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose country has nearly 30 million Christians who make up 2.3% of the population, says Pope Francis will always be remembered “as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the world.

“From a young age, he devoted himself towards realizing the ideals of Lord Christ. He diligently served the poor and downtrodden. For those who were suffering, he ignited a spirit of hope,” Modi said.

The Indian leader posted a photo of himself with the pope and said he was “greatly inspired by his commitment to inclusive and all-round development.”

Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Harris, expressed hope that Pope Francis’ teachings will continue to inspire the world, saying the late pontiff’s commitment to justice, peace and human dignity touched millions of people around the globe.

Francis’ advocacy for the poor, calls for improved interfaith relations and focus on protecting the environment made him “a beacon of hope and a voice for the voiceless,” Harris said in a statement.

“Pope Francis bore his illness with great dignity and courage,” Harris said. “As so many people in Ireland and as Christians across the world mourn his loss, we find strength in his message of hope, mercy, and compassion, which will continue to inspire us to build a better world for all.”

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said the news of Francis’ death “deeply saddens us, as we are saying goodbye to a great man and a great shepherd. I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his counsel and his teachings, which never failed me, not even in times of trial and suffering.’‘

She added that “his teaching and legacy will not be lost. We bid farewell to the Holy Father with hearts full of sorrow, but we know that he is now in the peace of the Lord.’’

French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is largely Catholic, shared his condolences in a post on X.

“From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. For it to unite humans among themselves, and with nature. May this hope forever outlast him.”

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof paid tribute to Francis, saying the pope “was in every way a man of the people.

“The global Catholic community bids farewell to a leader who recognized the burning issues of our day and called attention to them. With his sober way of life, acts of service and compassion, Pope Francis was a role model for many – Catholics and non-Catholics alike. We remember him with great respect,” Schoof wrote on X.

Israel’s mostly ceremonial president offered condolences to Christians after the death of Pope Francis, calling him a man of “deep faith and boundless compassion.”

In a post on X, Isaac Herzog said the pope had fostered strong ties with Jews and advanced interfaith dialogue.

“I truly hope that his prayers for peace in the Middle East and for the safe return of the hostages will soon be answered,” he wrote, referring to the pope’s repeated calls for an end to the war and the release of captives held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Francis had repeatedly criticized Israel’s wartime conduct and said allegations of genocide, which Israel has adamantly denied, should be investigated.

Ursula von der Leyen, a top European Union leader, remembered Francis as an inspiration for the entire world, not just Christians.

“Today, the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis,” von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, wrote on X.

“He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate. My thoughts are with all who feel this profound loss. May they find solace in the idea that Pope Francis’ legacy will continue to guide us all toward a more just, peaceful and compassionate world.”

Francis made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday, a day before his death when he emerged to bless thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square and treat them to a surprise popemobile romp through the piazza, drawing wild cheers and applause. Beforehand, he met briefly with U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

He performed the blessing from the same loggia where he was introduced to the world on March 13, 2013 as the 266th pope.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced that Francis died at 7:35 a.m. Monday (05:35 GMT).

“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,″ Farrell said in the announcement.

“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized.

“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 God, One and Tribune.″

—-

Corrects the spelling of Farell.

Pope Francis arrives at the end of the mass on Palm Sunday in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis arrives at the end of the mass on Palm Sunday in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis, left, appears on the central lodge of St. Peter's Basilica to bestow the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and to the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis appears on the central lodge of St. Peter's Basilica to bestow the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis tours St. Peter's Square in his popemobile after bestowing the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and to the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis arrives at the end of the mass on Palm Sunday in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis appears on the central lodge of St. Peter's Basilica to bestow the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and to the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis appears on the central lodge of St. Peter's Basilica to bestow the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and to the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

FILE - Pope Francis delivers his blessing as he recites the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St.Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, file)