Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic branch of Christianity, has died at the age of 88. He was the first pope from South America. Despite initiating many firsts as the Pope, Francis never halted efforts for reforming the Church. He remained equally popular even among traditionalists who clung to old customs.
After the death of Gregory III, who was born in Syria, in 741 AD, there hadn’t been any non-European bishop in Rome until Francis. He was also the first Jesuit to be elected to the chair of Saint Peter. Historically, Jesuits were viewed with suspicion in Rome. Jesuits, members of the Society of Jesus, are dedicated to helping others, promoting justice, and finding God in everything.
Francis’ predecessor, Benedict XVI, was the first pope in six centuries to resign voluntarily. So, within nearly a decade, Vatican Gardens had seen two popes. Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina was 70 years old when he became Pope in 2013. Many Catholics had expected a younger pope. Bergoglio presented himself as a compromise candidate—one who could attract both conservatives with his strict views on sexuality and reformers with his liberal views on social justice. It was hoped that his unorthodox background would help rejuvenate the Vatican and its mission. However, Francis’s reform efforts faced resistance from the Vatican bureaucracy. Moreover, his predecessor who died in 2022 remained popular among conservatives.
- Firm Commitment to Being Different
From the moment of his election, Francis signaled that he would do things differently. Instead of taking the papal throne, he stood and received the cardinals informally. On March 13, 2013, he appeared on the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square wearing simple white robes, taking the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century missionary and lover of animals.
Pope Francis emphasized humility over grandeur and gave up the papal limousine in favor of riding a bus with other cardinals. He introduced a new policy for the global $1.2 billion church: “I want a poor Church for the poor,” he said.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was the eldest of five children. His parents had fled fascism in Italy. He enjoyed tango dancing and was a supporter of the local football club San Lorenzo. After suffering from a severe bout of pneumonia, he had part of one lung removed—making him vulnerable to infections for life. In old age, he also suffered from knee pain, which he described as a physical humiliation.
Before graduating as a chemist, young Bergoglio worked as a bouncer and floor-sweeper in a nightclub. He worked closely with Esther Ballestrino, who campaigned against Argentina’s military dictatorship. She was tortured and her body was never found.
Francis studied philosophy and later pursued literature and psychology. He became a Jesuit and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the provincial superior of Argentina in 1973.
- Allegations Against Pope Francis
Some believe Pope Francis failed to oppose Argentina’s brutal military regime. He was accused of involvement in the military abduction of two priests during Argentina’s Dirty War (1976–1983), when thousands were tortured, killed, or disappeared. The two priests were tortured but found alive, sedated, and half-naked. It was alleged that Bergoglio had failed to inform authorities that their work in poor areas had church approval. If true, this could have endangered their lives. He strongly denied the accusations and insisted he worked behind the scenes to secure their release. Asked why he didn’t speak out, he said the situation was extremely difficult. At just 36 years old, he found himself in a chaotic situation that would have been hard for even seasoned leaders. He had helped many flee the country.
Even among his fellow Jesuits, opinions were divided. Some believed Bergoglio lacked interest in Liberation Theology—a blend of Christian and Marxist thought aiming to fight injustice. He instead favored a gentler form of clerical support. His approach was sometimes controversial. When he first attempted to become Pope in 2005, some Jesuits reportedly breathed a sigh of relief when he failed.
- A Man of Simple Taste
In 1992, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires, later becoming Archbishop. Pope John Paul II made him a Cardinal in 2001. He joined the Church’s administrative office known as the Curia. He gained a reputation as a man of simple tastes, avoiding the traditional red and purple robes of cardinals in favor of the standard black clerical garb. He traveled in economy class on flights.
His sermons often called for social inclusion and criticized governments for failing to care for the poorest. “We live in the most unequal part of the world,” he said. “We’ve seen the most growth, yet the least reduction in misery.”
As Pope, he attempted to heal the centuries-old rift with the Eastern Orthodox Church. As a result, for the first time since the Great Schism of 1054, the Patriarch of Constantinople attended the new Bishop of Rome’s installation. Francis worked with Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists, and invited Israeli and Palestinian leaders to pray with him for peace. After Islamic extremist attacks, he said violence should not define Islam. He declared, “If I speak of Islamic violence, then I must also speak of Catholic violence.”
Politically, he aligned himself with Argentina’s claim over the Falkland Islands, saying, “We pray for those who are children of this homeland, who fought for their country and its claim.”
As a Spanish-speaking Latin American, he played a key mediating role when the U.S. and Cuba moved toward historic diplomatic relations—something unimaginable for a European pope.
- Traditionalist Values
Pope Francis was a traditionalist. Monsignor Osvaldo Musto, who was with him in seminary, said he was uncompromising like Pope John Paul II. He was firm on issues like the death penalty, abortion, the right to life, human rights, and priestly celibacy. While he said the Church should welcome people regardless of gender or sexual identity, he emphasized that allowing same-sex couples to adopt could be discriminatory toward children. Though he occasionally spoke kindly about homosexuals, he never supported same-sex marriage, calling it an attempt to destroy God’s plan.
Shortly after becoming Pope in 2013, he joined an anti-abortion march in Rome. He advocated for the rights of unborn children from the moment of conception and called on gynecologists to awaken their conscience. He also addressed the Irish, urging them to protect the vulnerable amid an ongoing referendum.
He opposed women preaching the gospel, stating that Pope John Paul II had permanently ruled out the possibility. Initially, people thought he approved of contraceptives to prevent disease, but he praised Pope Paul VI’s warning that contraception could turn women into tools for male satisfaction. In 2015, he told an audience in the Philippines that contraceptives could destroy families through a lack of children, and that intentionally avoiding children was even more harmful.
- Tackling Child Abuse
One of Francis’s greatest challenges came from two sides—those who accused him of failing to tackle child abuse, and conservatives who felt he was weakening the faith. His move to allow divorced and remarried Catholics to take communion drew significant backlash.
In August 2018, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a former Vatican diplomat to the U.S., published an 11-page letter accusing Francis of ignoring repeated warnings about Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, a serial abuser of both adults and minors. Viganò declared that Francis should resign and claimed that secret homosexual networks were choking the Church. Following an investigation, McCarrick was finally dismissed in February 2019.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis canceled his regular appearances in St. Peter’s Square to prevent the spread of the virus. He stated that vaccination was a moral obligation—a powerful example of ethical leadership.
In 2022, Francis became the first pope in over a century to bury his predecessor after Pope Benedict died at age 95. Later, Francis himself faced health issues and was hospitalized multiple times. Yet, he remained committed to promoting world peace and interfaith dialogue. In 2023, he made a pilgrimage to South Sudan to call for an end to its conflict, and he urged an end to the brutal and unjust war in Ukraine.