Pope Francis made final appeal hours before his death aged 88

He died hours after his final public appearance.

The pontiff passed at 7:35 am on Saturday morning, the Vatican confirmed.

His death came after he had been hospitalised for weeks with double pneumonia.

The 88-year-old appeared at the Vatican's Easter Mass at St. Peter's Basilica on Easter Sunday, which featured his final appeal before his death.

He had put together a special speech titled 'Urbi et Orbi', which translates to 'to the city and the world.'

The Pope's aide, Archbishop Diego Ravelli read the speech, which held the Pope's wishes for a ceasefire in Gaza.

He said: "The growing climate of anti-Semitism throughout the world is worrisome.

"Yet at the same time I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation.

"I express my closeness to the sufferings of all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people. I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace."

Following his death there will be nine days of mourning known as 'Novendiale'.

He will be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in Rome, Italy.