Pope Francis, who has died at the age of 88, made history from the moment he was elected Bishop of Rome and ensured he left his mark in a pontificate that was impacted by hard hitting statements as well as sometimes hard criticism of his leadership of the Catholic Church. The first South American to be elected Pope, his arrival at the Vatican was a shock to some and Francis continued to surprise throughout his twelve years as the leader of millions of Catholics around the world.
The papacy of Francis was one of historic firsts. He was the first Jesuit to become Pope and the first man to be raised outside Europe to hold the position for over 1200 years. And he was the first person from South America to lead the Catholic Church which, by the early 21st century when he took over, was home to a large percentage of the worlds Catholics.
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Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 17 1936, the first child of Mario Jose and Regina Maria Bergoglio. His father had come to Argentina from Italy after the rise of Mussolini while his mother’s family had Italian roots. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was educated in Buenos Aires and worked briefly as a janitor and a bouncer but his qualifications were as a chemical technician.
In 1957, he fell seriously ill with pneumonia and had to have part of his lung removed. Soon afterwards, he joined the Jesuits and after years of study, he was ordained in 1969.
He became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was made a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He became Pope on March 13 2013 after being chosen by cardinals to succeed Benedict XVI who had abdicated. The new Pontiff took the name of Francis in honour of St. Francis of Assisi. He was the first Pope to take that name.
Pope Francis was known for his humanitarianism and for a more liberal attitude towards women and same sex relationships within the Catholic Church. He eschewed many of the trappings of the Papacy and encouraged Catholics to look after those in need. However, he faced criticism from more conservative Catholics and wider questions around how the Church handled allegations of abuse.
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He continued the extensive foreign travel which had marked the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. His first visit was to Brazil, soon after his election. In 2015, during a trip to the Philippines, he led the largest ever papal event when around 6 million people attended a Mass in Manila. That same year, he addressed Congress during a visit to the United States.
One of his last overseas trips was to Belgium where he was hosted by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. He was due to welcome King Charles and Queen Camilla to the Holy See for a State Visit in April.
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Pope Francis remained popular with many ordinary Catholics for his down to earth approach and his dedication to the most needy in society. Even in the last months of his life, his outspokenness remained to the fore. He was heard joking that his enemies would be looking forward to him no longer being around, even as his health worsened.
Pope Francis died on the morning of April 21 2025, just hours after delivering his Easter message. in St. Peter’s Square He had already revealed that his death would bring another papal first. He will be buried outside the Vatican, the first time a Pope has been laid to rest elsewhere in over a century. Pope Francis changed much at a time when the world itself was changing rapidly.
Pope Francis, December 17 1936 – April 21 2025
