Importance Score: 75 / 100 🔴
Pope Francis, Influential Pontiff, Dies at 88
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff in history, passed away on Monday at the age of 88. His papacy, marked by humility and a deep concern for the impoverished, resonated globally, though his stances on climate change and critiques of capitalism occasionally caused friction with conservatives within the Catholic Church.
Solemn Announcement and Tributes
Following the announcement of his death, church bells throughout Rome tolled in mourning. Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, delivered the news from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, the residence of Pope Francis within Vatican City.
Cardinal Ferrell stated, “At 7:35 this morning, Francis, the Bishop of Rome, returned to the house of the Father. His entire existence was dedicated to serving the Lord and His Church.”
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Health Battles and Final Blessings
Earlier this year, Pope Francis was admitted to Gemelli hospital on February 14, 2025, suffering from a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. His 38-day stay in hospital became the longest of his papacy. Having undergone the removal of a portion of his right lung in his youth and battling chronic lung disease, his health remained a concern.
In his final public appearance, on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis delivered a blessing to a vast crowd in St. Peter’s Square, receiving an outpouring of cheers and applause a day before his passing.
Succession and Mourning Period
The Pope’s death initiates a period of mourning and established Vatican protocols. Officials will first pay respects in the Santa Marta chapel, followed by public viewing in St. Peter’s Basilica. Subsequently, a funeral service will be held, and a conclave of cardinals will convene to elect the next Pope.
A Transformative Papacy
Elected on March 13, 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an Argentinian native, signaled a shift in the papacy. In contrast to the preceding, and at times turbulent, reign of Pope Benedict XVI, who notably resigned, Francis championed the cause of refugees and marginalized individuals.
However, his progressive tendencies, including outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and a firmer stance against traditionalist factions, generated discontent among conservative elements. His handling of a significant clergy sexual abuse case in 2018 also drew criticism.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis led the Church from a restricted Vatican City, emphasizing global interconnectedness: “it has shown us that we cannot live without one another, or worse still, pitted against one another.”
Mandate for Church Reform
Pope Francis’ election was largely based on a mandate to enact reforms within the Vatican’s bureaucracy and financial structures. He extended these efforts to reshape the Church’s practices and approaches, while upholding core doctrines.
Inclusive Stance
When questioned about a reportedly gay priest, his inclusive response, “Who am I to judge?” became a significant message of welcome to the LGBTQ+ community and those feeling excluded by the Church.
Shifting Doctrine on Key Issues
Pope Francis altered Church teachings on capital punishment, declaring it unacceptable in all instances, and revised the stance on nuclear weapons, deeming their very possession “immoral.”
In unprecedented moves, he facilitated an accord with China regarding bishop appointments, a point of contention for decades, and fostered new dialogues with the Muslim world through visits to the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq.
His most impactful transformation resided in highlighting the Church’s role as a sanctuary for society’s most vulnerable: migrants, the impoverished, prisoners, and outcasts.
Emulating St. Francis of Assisi
Living modestly, Pope Francis resided in the Vatican guesthouse instead of the Apostolic Palace, opted for simple orthopedic shoes over traditional papal red loafers, and favored compact automobiles.
Beyond being the first pontiff from Latin America and the Jesuit order, he uniquely chose his papal name after St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century friar renowned for his simplicity, peace advocacy, and dedication to the marginalized and environment.
His inaugural papal journey was to Lampedusa, an Italian island at the heart of Europe’s migration crisis, and he consistently prioritized visits to nations where Christians faced persecution.
Challenges in Addressing Clergy Abuse
However, over a year passed before Pope Francis engaged with survivors of clergy sexual abuse, leading victim advocacy groups to question his understanding of the issue’s magnitude.
His papacy encountered a significant crisis in 2018 when he initially cast doubt on Chilean abuse survivors and supported a bishop associated with a notorious pedophile. He subsequently invited the victims to the Vatican for a personal apology and urged the Chilean Church leadership to resign.
Another crisis involved ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, a former Archbishop of Washington and advisor to multiple popes.
Pope Francis had removed McCarrick from active ministry following an accusation of molesting a teenage altar boy in the 1970s. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former Vatican ambassador to the U.S., further accused Pope Francis of reinstating McCarrick early in his papacy. Following an investigation, Pope Francis ultimately defrocked McCarrick after confirming sexual abuse of both adults and minors.
An Era of Two Popes
Pope Francis’s election, following Pope Benedict XVI’s unprecedented resignation – the first in six centuries – resulted in the unusual situation of two popes residing within Vatican City. Despite the potential for conflict, Pope Francis embraced Benedict as a respected elder and counselor until Benedict’s death on December 31, 2022.
While not prioritizing the anti-abortion agenda as heavily as Benedict or St. John Paul II, Pope Francis strongly condemned abortion, comparing it to “hiring a hit man to resolve a problem.”
Conversely, he reversed a key liturgical decision by Benedict, re-imposing restrictions on celebrating the Latin Mass. He cited a desire to heal divisions, but conservatives and traditionalists criticized the move as an assault on their practices and the traditional liturgy.
Pope Francis gradually shifted influence away from doctrinally rigid Church leaders towards those with a more pastoral focus, reflected in his cardinal appointments who will participate in selecting his successor.
His most assertive measures against corruption included streamlining Vatican finances, limiting executive compensation and gift acceptance, and removing obstacles to criminally prosecuting cardinals. He authorized a police raid on Vatican offices, leading to a criminal trial related to a problematic London real estate investment.
Social and economic justice were central themes for Pope Francis, who expressed his vision for a “poor church that is for the poor.”
In his initial significant teaching document, he critiqued trickle-down economics, asserting that “the powerful feed upon the powerless” disregarding ethics, the environment, and spiritual values. He elaborated on this in an environmental encyclical, denouncing a “structurally perverse” system that exploited the vulnerable and risked transforming Earth into “an immense pile of filth.”
Early Life and Vocation
Born in Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the eldest of five children born to Italian migrants. He credited his grandmother, Rosa, with instilling in him the practice of prayer.
He stated his decision to enter the priesthood occurred at 17, joining the diocesan seminary four years later. By 1958, he transitioned to the Jesuit order, drawn to their missionary zeal and discipline. At 36, in 1973, he was appointed head of the Jesuits in Argentina.
Era of Argentine Dictatorship
His leadership coincided with the start of Argentina’s 1976-83 dictatorship and the “dirty war,” characterized by brutal military actions against leftist guerrillas and regime opponents.
Similar to many, Bergoglio did not openly confront the ruling junta. Accusations arose that his silence effectively enabled the kidnapping and torture of two slum priests by not publicly supporting their work.
However, in a 2010 authorized biography, he recounted persuading dictator Jorge Videla’s family priest to feign illness so Bergoglio could conduct Mass at Videla’s home and successfully appeal for clemency in certain cases.