Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, died on Monday at the age of 88. He had recently battled a severe case of double pneumonia.
Francis made history as the first pope from the Jesuit Order, the Americas, and the Southern Hemisphere. He was also the first pope from outside Europe since the 8th century, after Pope Gregory III of Syria.
Born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian immigrant parents, he initially studied chemical technology before entering the priesthood. Bergoglio joined the Jesuit novitiate in 1958, studied humanities and philosophy, and was ordained a priest in 1969. He became Provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina in 1973 and held various academic and pastoral roles.
In 1992, Pope John Paul II appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires. He became Archbishop in 1998 and was named Cardinal in 2001. As Archbishop, he was known for his humility, simple lifestyle, and focus on helping the poor and sick.
On March 13, 2013, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Bergoglio was elected pope, taking the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. He chose to live in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than the Apostolic Palace, embodying his commitment to humility.
Pope Francis emphasized compassion, social justice, and interreligious dialogue throughout his papacy. He welcomed LGBT individuals, elevated women to key Church roles, and advocated for environmental protection and climate action. He denounced the death penalty and unregulated capitalism while calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality.
He played key diplomatic roles, including mediating US-Cuba relations and engaging in dialogue with China and Muslim leaders. In 2022, he apologized for the Church’s role in Canada’s residential school abuses.
His final major initiative, the Synod on Synodality, aimed to modernize Church governance and promote greater inclusivity—marking a pivotal moment in Catholic history.
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