OPE FRANCIS, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 89.
“This morning at 7:35 a.m., the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the Father’s house. His entire life was dedicated to serving the Lord and His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially in service to the poorest and most marginalized. With deep gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we entrust Pope Francis’s soul to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God,” read the official statement from the Vatican.
Born JORGE MARIO BERGOGLIO, the Argentine cardinal was elected as the head of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013, becoming the 266th pontiff and the first non-European pope since the 8th century, as well as the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first Jesuit pope.
Inspired to join the Jesuit order in 1958 following recovery from a severe illness, BERGOGLIO had part of a lung removed due to a serious respiratory infection. He later credited a nurse with saving his life by doubling his medication dosage at a critical moment.
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Born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrant parents—his father a railway worker—Francis became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was elevated to the rank of cardinal three years later.
Throughout his papacy, FRANCIS was known for his humility, often using public transport, cooking his own meals, and regularly visiting impoverished neighborhoods. He chose the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order, for his dedication to the poor.
FRANCIS’s approach to papal leadership was distinctly reform-minded and socially engaged. He was a vocal advocate for social justice, climate action, and abolition of the death penalty, which he called “an intrinsic evil.” He championed interreligious dialogue, promoted tolerance toward the LGBT+ community, and criticized unchecked capitalism, consumerism, and right-wing populism.
He famously kissed the shoes of rival South Sudanese leaders in 2019 to encourage peace, and on Holy Thursday, washed the feet of migrants of various religions and genders at an asylum center outside Rome—breaking with papal tradition. He also washed the feet of female prisoners in an Italian jail, contrasting with predecessors who limited the rite to clergy or male participants.
POPE FRANCIS resisted political pressure during his tenure, including from Croatia regarding the canonization of Cardinal ALOYSIUS STEPINAC. Instead, he formed a joint historical commission with the Serbian Orthodox Church to investigate Stepinac’s role during and after World War II. In a 2019 interview, he stated: “What would be the point of canonization if the truth is unclear? It would serve no one.”
In global diplomacy, FRANCIS helped restore full diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba, and pursued a controversial agreement with China regarding the appointment of bishops, attempting to define the role of the Chinese Communist Party in Church affairs.
Although his papacy faced several health challenges—including a colon surgery in 2021, hernia surgery in 2023, and a fall in early 2025 that injured his right arm—Francis insisted in his autobiography that he was healthy and had no intention of resigning.
However, in early April 2025, he was diagnosed with acute bronchitis, and on February 14, he was hospitalized in Rome.
Now, the world mourns the passing of a spiritual leader who redefined the papacy for the 21st century — a pope of the people, deeply rooted in compassion, humility, and the pursuit of justice.
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