Pope Francis died on Monday at age 88, the Vatican announced. The news comes as a shock to Catholics and others around the world, who saw the pope return to work in late March after a long hospitalisation. Pope Francis had been dealing with lingering issues related to pneumonia, but had met with Vice President JD Vance and taken part in Easter festivities on Sunday.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” said Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell in Monday’s announcement. “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage.”
Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He grew up in Buenos Aires with four siblings and loved playing soccer and flying kites, as he’s told children who’ve met with him in recent years. He went to school to become a chemist but then felt called to be a priest. He began to study for the priesthood with the Society of Jesus, a Catholic order known as the Jesuits, in 1958, according to National Catholic Reporter. He was ordained a priest in December 1969.
Pope Francis remained in Argentina as he worked his way up the Catholic hierarchy. He became the leader of the Jesuits there in the 1970s, and faced criticism for not doing more to protect Catholic leaders during the political violence that took place in the country during that time. 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. | Andrew Medichini
“Bergoglio mandated that Jesuits continue to staff parishes and act as chaplains rather than moving into ‘base communities,’” per National Catholic Reporter. In 1992, he became the auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires. When the archbishop died in 1998, Pope Francis succeeded him, according to his Vatican bio. Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal in 2001.
According to National Catholic Reporter, Cardinal Bergoglio, as he was then known, is widely believed to have come in second behind Pope Benedict when the latter was elected pope in April 2005. While Pope Benedict led the church, then-Cardinal Bergoglio continued working as archbishop of Buenos Aires. He was popular there, and known for living a simple, quiet life, as his Vatican bio recounts. When Pope Benedict unexpectedly resigned in February 2013, then-Cardinal Bergoglio came to the Vatican with other cardinals to choose his successor.
There was no clear frontrunner, so it was somewhat surprising when Pope Francis was picked on just the fifth ballot, National Catholic Reporter noted. Pope Francis was the first Jesuit pope and the first pope from the Americas. His unique background shaped how he led the Catholic Church. He was known for speaking out on behalf of the poor and putting the spotlight on people, rather than on church policies. Four months after his election, Pope Francis famously said “Who am I to judge?” when asked about gay people serving as Catholic leaders.
In that same July 2013 conversation, he spoke about wanting women to have more power in the church, but stopped short of saying they should be ordained, as the BBC reported at the time. Pope Francis did not change church teaching on same-sex marriage or women’s ordination, but, as is clear in those 2013 comments, he did soften the church’s tone. Pope Francis was often sterner when talking about poverty and war. He routinely called for peace during global conflicts and urged richer countries to share their resources. In February, Pope Francis wrote a letter to US bishops criticizing the Trump administration’s approach to immigration. He argued that Americans should champion human dignity over deportations.
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. | Gregorio Borgia
The pope was also known for his writings and remarks on climate change, which he presented as a social justice issue.
“Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day. Its worst impact will probably be felt by developing countries in coming decades,” he wrote in his 2015 encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si. As in Buenos Aires, Pope Francis lived simply in the Vatican. He chose a small apartment over the Apostolic Apartment and wore plain clothes.
He emphasised listening, and he encouraged Catholics to speak up about the changes they’d like to see in the church. “He described the church as a field hospital for the wounded, not a country club for the rich and beautiful. His stress was on compassion, mercy and reconciliation,” as the Rev. Thomas Reese wrote in a column marking the 10-year anniversary of Pope Francis becoming the pope. White smoke emerges from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. The white smoke indicates that the new pope has been elected. | Gregorio Borgia Catholic cardinals from around the world will now meet at the Vatican to discuss the future of the Catholic Church and choose a new pope.
