Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, emerged from modest roots to become one of the most transformative figures in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. The eldest of five children, he was raised in a family of Italian immigrants. His father, Mario José Bergoglio, was an accountant who had fled fascist Italy in 1929, and his mother, Regina María Sívori, was a housewife of northern Italian descent. Growing up in a working-class environment, young Jorge was steeped in the values of humility, community, and faith, which would define his life and papacy.
Bergoglio’s early years were marked by diverse experiences that shaped his worldview. After earning a chemical technician’s diploma, he worked as a bouncer, janitor, and laboratory technician, gaining a firsthand understanding of the struggles of ordinary people. A severe respiratory infection in his early 20s, which required the removal of part of his lung, brought him close to death and deepened his spiritual resolve. Inspired by this brush with mortality, he entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1958, beginning a lifelong commitment to service. Ordained as a priest in 1969, he served as the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina from 1973 to 1979, navigating the turbulent years of the country’s military dictatorship. In 1998, he became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and in 2001, Pope John Paul II elevated him to cardinal, recognizing his growing influence.
A Historic Papacy
On March 13, 2013, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Bergoglio was elected the 266th pope, taking the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, a symbol of poverty, peace, and care for creation. As the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first non-European pontiff since the 8th-century Syrian Pope Gregory III, Francis broke centuries of tradition. His papacy was defined by a radical emphasis on humility, compassion, and reform, challenging the Church to be a “poor Church for the poor.”
Francis’s achievements were profound and far-reaching. His 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’” was a landmark call for environmental stewardship, urging global action on climate change and critiquing consumerism and overdevelopment. He championed interreligious dialogue, notably becoming the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula in 2019, where he met with Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi to promote peace and fraternity. His historic apologies to survivors of clergy sexual abuse marked a shift toward accountability, though his handling of some cases, such as that of Mauro Inzoli, drew criticism for leniency.
Francis sought to make the Church more inclusive, revising the catechism in 2018 to declare the death penalty “inadmissible” and advocating for greater compassion toward marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ community. While maintaining traditional teachings on issues like abortion and women’s ordination, he supported blessings for individuals in same-sex relationships in non-liturgical contexts and appointed women to prominent roles in the Roman Curia. His critiques of unbridled capitalism and his advocacy for migrants and refugees resonated globally, though they sparked resistance from conservative factions within the Church.
His simplicity set him apart. Rejecting the opulent papal apartments, he lived in the modest Casa Santa Marta guesthouse. He shunned lavish vestments, famously quipping that he was “not an ice cream seller” when urged to wear white trousers under his cassock. His informal style—greeting crowds with a simple “Buona sera” and riding the bus with cardinals—endeared him to millions but unsettled traditionalists.
Health Struggles and Final Days
Francis’s health had long been a concern due to the partial lung removal in his youth, which left him vulnerable to respiratory issues. In his later years, he battled bouts of bronchitis, influenza, and sciatica, often relying on a wheelchair or cane. In February 2025, he was hospitalized for 38 days at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital with double pneumonia, a polymicrobial respiratory infection, and early-stage kidney failure. Despite a critical condition requiring blood transfusions and mechanical ventilation, he recovered enough to resume a limited schedule. On Easter Sunday, April 20, he made a surprise appearance in St. Peter’s Square, blessing the faithful and meeting U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, though he delegated the Easter Mass to Cardinal Angelo Comastri.
Tragically, Pope Francis died the following day, Easter Monday, April 21, at 7:35 a.m. CEST in his residence at Casa Santa Marta, Vatican City. He was 88. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, announced his passing, stating, “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, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized.” While the exact cause of death remains undisclosed, Italian sources speculated it may have been a stroke. His death, coming at the pinnacle of the Church’s liturgical year, was seen as fitting for a pontiff who lived his faith until the end.
A Legacy of Love and Division
Pope Francis’s 12-year papacy reshaped the Catholic Church, steering it toward inclusivity and engagement with global challenges. His emphasis on mercy—reflected in his episcopal motto, “miserando atque eligendo” (“by having mercy, he chose him”) – inspired millions but also provoked sharp divisions. Progressives lauded his openness, while conservatives accused him of diluting doctrine. His reforms, from probing Vatican finances to establishing a global system for reporting clergy abuse, aimed to modernize an ancient institution, though critics argued he fell short on transparency.
As the Vatican enters the “sede vacante” period, cardinals will convene within 15 to 20 days for a conclave to elect his successor, expected between May 6 and 11, 2025. Francis’s wish to be buried in a single wooden and zinc coffin at Santa Maria Maggiore, near his beloved icon of the Virgin Mary, reflects his lifelong simplicity. His funeral, guided by updated rites he approved in 2024, is expected within days.
Pope Francis leaves a world mourning a leader who dared to challenge conventions, from denouncing war in Gaza to embracing the marginalized. His legacy – rooted in the slums of Buenos Aires and carried to the global stage – will shape the Church for generations. As he once said, “A world full of hope and kindness is a more beautiful world.” His life was a testament to that vision.