Pope Francis died at 88, the Vatican confirmed in a video message, marking the end of a historic and often divisive papacy. His death comes not long after a tough battle with double pneumonia, which had already seen him hospitalised for several weeks.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on Vatican TV. “At 7:35am this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”
In what would be his last public appearance, on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis looked on quietly as an aide read out a message from him. Still recovering from illness, he used the opportunity to once again call for peace in Gaza, urging an immediate ceasefire. It echoed his earlier criticism of Israel’s military campaign, where he had described the humanitarian crisis as “very serious and shameful” back in January. In his Easter remarks, he called the situation “dramatic and deplorable”.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, made history in 2013 when he became the first Latin American pope. His election surprised many who saw the Argentine cardinal as a bit of an outsider. But he quickly made an impression with his humble approach to the role. Rather than moving into the lavish papal apartments, he chose to live in a more modest setting with others, saying it was better for his “psychological health”.
His time as pope was anything but quiet. He inherited a Church that was reeling from child abuse scandals and internal chaos. There was pressure from day one to clean house and bring some order to the Vatican. He did make changes, but those efforts often sparked backlash.
Francis found himself caught in the middle of a tug of war. Traditionalists slammed him for what they saw as a disregard for long-held customs, while progressives argued he didn’t go far enough to modernise the Church. Even so, his voice became a powerful one on the world stage. He pushed hard for peace, interfaith dialogue, and speaking up for the poor, the marginalised, and migrants.
He also became a bit of a global celebrity, pulling massive crowds during his travels and offering something of a fresh face for the Church. But internally, the battles continued.
For much of his reign, he shared the Vatican with his predecessor Benedict, who stepped down in 2013 but continued living in the Holy See. Benedict, a favourite among conservatives, passed away in December 2022, leaving Francis as the sole white-clad figure in the Vatican.
One of Francis’ lasting impacts may be in who comes next. He appointed nearly 80 percent of the cardinals eligible to vote for the next pope, giving a strong chance that whoever follows him may carry on his more progressive approach — despite the resistance from traditional corners.
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