A Durham University professor who worked closely with Pope Francis has described the "shock and sadness" in Rome after his death aged 88.
Professor Anna Rowlands, a UK theologian, was in the Italian capital for Easter when the news broke. The 88-year-old Francis, who was born in Buenos Aires, died following a stroke and heart failure - just a day after he appeared in the Vatican to bless thousands on Easter Sunday. Having spent two years seconded to the Vatican during his papacy, Professor Rowlands is well-acquainted with the city and its spiritual heart. A professor of Catholic social thought and practice at Durham University, she said: "The atmosphere in Rome today has been one of shock, of sadness, and of gratitude. "Despite his recent long illness, there was still a sense of real—perhaps surprising—shock this morning." (Image: Anna Rowlands/PA Wire) Professor Rowlands recounted how the square gradually filled with pilgrims and tourists, all coming to pay their respects, noting the "mix of joy, sadness, and normal life going on—something that I think the Pope would have…