Pope Francis has died at 88. The Vatican made the announcement on Monday (April 21). His real name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He became Pope back in March 2013, leading the Catholic Church for over a decade.
The Vatican shared the news with sorrow
Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell said: “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.
“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized.
“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.″
His final illness came fast and hit hard
It all started back in February. He was taken to Gemelli Hospital in Rome. The doctors said it was a respiratory infection — turned out it was chronic bronchitis. Things got worse. He developed pneumonia in both lungs. His kidneys started failing a bit too.
Then last month, he had what they called a bronchospasm. It made him vomit, and his breathing suddenly got worse. It wasn’t looking good.
People clung to the Vatican’s updates
While he was in the hospital, the Vatican kept posting little updates. They said he’d been sleeping okay and was in “good humor,” but his condition was still serious. Even though he was going along with the treatment, doctors weren’t sure how it was going to turn out. The prognosis wasn’t clear.
RELATED STORIES
When he couldn’t speak, he asked for prayers
On Sunday February 23, the Pope asked people to pray for him. He couldn’t deliver the Angelus prayer that week — second time in a row. That moment hit hard for a lot of people.
A papacy full of firsts
Pope Francis broke a lot of records. He was the first Pope from the Society of Jesus — a group where priests devote their lives to Jesus. Also the first Latin American Pope, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
And get this — he was the first Pope in 1,200 years who wasn’t from Europe. Pretty big deal.
Not afraid to speak his mind
The name Francis? He picked it to honor Saint Francis of Assisi. He was known for being humble and pretty forward-thinking.
He spoke a lot about the war in Ukraine, refugees, climate change, inequality — and yeah, LGBTQ+ rights too. He never stayed quiet about the stuff that mattered.
He didn’t shy away from LGBTQ+ issues
Throughout 2023, Pope Francis slammed laws criminalizing homosexuality as a sin. He approved blessings for same-sex civil unions, famously telling journalists: “Who am I to judge?” when prompted with the question.
Traditions didn’t stop him from pushing for change
He tried shaking things up inside the Church too. He gave more leadership roles to women in the Vatican — something that hadn’t really been done before.
And instead of moving into the grand Apostolic Palace like past Popes, he stayed at a guesthouse called Domus Sanctae Marthae.
Pope Francis left a mark that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
