A homeless man from Germany has died in St. Peter's Square in Rome. The man was found dead on the well-known colonnade near St. Peter's Basilica in the morning, the Vatican announced.

Pope Francis learned of the man's death "with pain," said Matteo Bruni, spokesman for the Holy See. The man was born in Germany in 1961 and lived on the streets of Rome, it said. Church institutions would have taken care of him.

"Unfortunately, the cold and rain of recent nights have worsened his already road-ravaged condition," Bruni said. The Pope prays for the deceased and for all those who are homeless in Rome and around the world.

Many homeless people sleep around St. Peter's Square every night, and a number of organizations take care of them. As the official media portal Vatican News reported, the German was discovered next to a colonnade column. One photo showed a body wrapped in rescue film, with police officers standing next to it.