Pope Francis, First Latin American Pontiff, Dead At Age 88
ROME — Pope Francis — the first pontiff from the Americas who clashed with traditional Catholics, but praised as a much-needed reformer by progressives who heralded his efforts to bring the church into the 21st century — died on Monday, a day after Easter, at the age of 88.
Bells rang out in churches across Rome after the announcement, which was read out by Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where the pope lived.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” Ferrell said. “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his church.”
Ferrell said Francis had spent his life teaching “to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized.”
The pope had been plagued by a series of health issues in recent years. No exact cause of death was given by the Vatican.
In July 2021, he had 13 inches of his colon removed in a six-hour operation that was aimed at addressing a painful bowel condition called diverticulitis. Francis said in 2023 that the condition had returned. He also had a hernia operation that same year.
Francis also suffered from lung conditions and several bouts of bronchitis. He was hospitalized in Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 with bronchitis, a condition that lingered and resulted in pneumonia in both lungs. The Vatican hierarchy even went on the defensive during his five-week hospital stay, tamping down speculation Francis might resign.
The pope, after spending 38 days in the hospital, had rallied in recent weeks. He made several public appearances during Holy Week, including on Easter Sunday — his last a day before his death — to bless thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square. He was greeted with cheers and applause as he made his way in the popemobile. Beforehand, he met had briefly with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.
Francis’ election to the papacy in 2013 was historic. The first ever pontiff from the Americas, Francis was also the first Jesuit to ever hold the position. He took the name of St. Francis, another first for a pope. He was also the first born or raised outside Europe (although his parents were Italian immigrants to Argentina) since the eighth century papacy of Syrian-born Pope Gregory III. Pope Francis was also the first pope to publish a memoir, “Hope,” which was released in January 2025.
The Francis papacy was marked by a tireless commitment to global peace, social justice and environmental causes. His decision to take the name Francis, for example, reflected his devotion to the ideals of St. Francis of Assisi, focusing on simplicity, humility, inclusivity and a deep care for the natural world.
“He’s always had a heart for the marginalized,” said Father Teo Brea, a member of the St. John Society and associate chaplain for Campus Ministry at The Catholic University of America. “That has been a constant as a priest, a bishop, a cardinal and then as pope.”
Francis was the first pope to make issues such as climate change a priority for the church. He also forever changed church teaching — or at least the perception of it — when in 2023, 10 years into his pontificate, allowed priests the ability to bless same-sex couples. That decision, however, did not come without controversy, especially from bishops in Africa.
Francis also made women full members of dicasteries in the Roman curia, the body that governs the Holy See. Within the church, he fought against clericalism, saying lay Catholics needed him to be more involved in decisions that affected the church’s future. In addition, he sought to ban the Latin Mass, something that intensified his rift with traditional Catholics.
“[Francis] said we have to be one church and the only way to be one church is to kind of get messed up and dirty, and get out there,” said Sister Norma Pimentel, a nun and humanitarian activist, whom Francis had praised for her work with immigrants in the United States. “Get out there and bring everybody in. I think his message of inclusiveness and encountering the other is really what we all must do.”
Regarding international diplomacy, Francis criticized the rise of right-wing populism, called for the decriminalization of homosexuality (though still considering same-sex acts sinful), helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba and negotiated a controversial agreement with China to define how much influence the Communist Party has in appointing Chinese bishops.
Early Life and clerical career
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Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires. He was the eldest of five children of Italian immigrants to Argentina. He grew up in a middle class family and was educated in local schools.
After studying chemistry and working briefly in a laboratory and as a bouncer, he suffered a severe case of pneumonia (in which part of his lung was removed in 1957, making him prone to respiratory infections later in life) that inspired him to enter the priesthood. He was ordained in 1969.
Bergoglio's childhood was shaped by his parents' strong Catholic faith and the political and social upheavals that were taking place in Argentina at the time. His father, Mario, was a railroad worker, and his mother, Regina, a housewife. The family was closely involved in the local church and social activities. In his spare time, he played soccer — he would become a lifelong fan — and even danced the tango before being called to the priesthood.
After completing his studies at the Salesian school, Bergoglio enrolled at the Catholic University of Argentina, where he earned a degree in philosophy. He went on to study theology at the Colegio Máximo de San José in San Miguel, Buenos Aires.
On Dec. 13, 1969, just four days before his 33rd birthday, Bergoglio was ordained a priest by Archbishop Ramon Jose Castellano, archbishop emeritus of Cordoba. He began his career as a Jesuit priest that year and was appointed provincial of the Argentine Jesuits in 1973. During his tenure, he worked to improve the lives of the poor. He also taught literature and psychology at various Jesuit-run schools throughout Buenos Aires.
In 1992, Bergoglio was appointed auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires and was ordained bishop the following year. In 1998, he was named archbishop of Buenos Aires and was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
As archbishop, Bergoglio became known for his advocacy of the poor and commitment to social justice. He spoke out against government corruption and violence, while also working to promote interfaith dialogue and understanding, especially with the Jewish community.
Bergoglio also served as a mediator during Argentina's financial crisis in 2001 and helped to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the government and protesting workers.
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Two popes
In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation, making him the first pope to do so in nearly 600 years. Bergoglio was elected his successor on March 13, 2013. As pope, Francis continued to advocate for the poor and marginalized, and emphasized the need for the Catholic Church to be more compassionate and inclusive. He criticized the excesses of capitalism and called for a greater focus on social justice and environmental sustainability.
In 2015, Francis released an encyclical, “Laudato Si’,” in which he called for a “cultural revolution” to address the global environmental crisis. He also became an outspoken advocate for refugees, calling on countries to do more to provide for their needs and to address the root causes of migration.
Francis also worked to reform the vast Vatican bureaucracy and to combat corruption within the Catholic Church. He took steps to increase transparency and accountability, while also speaking out against the sexual abuse of children by members of the clergy.
In 2018, Francis held a historic meeting with leaders of the Orthodox Church in Romania, marking the first papal visit to the country in 20 years. He also traveled extensively, visiting countries such as United States, Brazil, Cuba, Indonesia and the Philippines, and met with leaders of various religious and political groups.
Francis also openly spoke about his death, especially during the ladder years of his papacy. He said he wanted to be buried in the Rome basilica of St. Mary Major, not in the grottoes of the Vatican like other popes, so he could be near his favorite icon of Mary.
“It’s my great devotion,” Francis said in 2023 of the icon, adding he had already decided he wanted to be buried nearby in the basilica. “The place is already prepared.”
His poor health and advanced age also spurred talk of retirement. But Francis said he would never retire from the papacy.
Vatican watcher John Allen, one of the world’s foremost scholars on Catholicism, noted that “a new pope can bring a different outlook and sense of priorities, which may in some ways represent a break with his predecessor.”
“Those cheering Francis most loudly today, in fact, often do so precisely because they believe he’s a change from the direction set under John Paul II and Benedict,” he added. “The Italians even have a phrase for this dynamic: ‘You always follow a fat pope with a thin one,’ they say, by which they mean that often enough over the years, a liberal pope has been followed by a conservative, a traditionalist by a reformer. … In many ways, a conclave almost invites such a cycle, since inevitably the choice shapes up in part as a referendum on the papacy that’s just ended.”
Doctrinal polarization and culture wars
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Francis’ papacy was full of ups and downs. Despite his efforts to reform the church, Francis faced criticism from some traditionalist Catholics who viewed his approach too theologically liberal.
He was also criticized by some for his handling of the sexual abuse scandal and not doing enough to hold perpetrators accountable and failing to implement reforms to prevent future abuse.
Nonetheless, he had a genuine desire to bring reform to the church. On Oct. 4, 2023, Francis convened the Synod on Synodality, a multi-year series of meetings involving bishops and lay Catholics.
The meetings — labeled “Vatican III” by some — were hailed as the biggest doctrinal shift since the Second Vatican Council, although the priorities and results remain mixed. Its overall aim was in line with Francis’ rejection of a church governed by clericalism and the excessive devotion to the institutional aspects of the church at the expense of beliefs. As a result, more lay people were brought in to help govern the church.
Especially when it came to social and political views, Pope Francis also faced criticism from some conservative Catholics and political figures for his views on social and political issues, including immigration, climate change and economic inequality. Some accused him of being too political and straying too far from traditional church teachings.
Some within the Catholic Church criticized Pope Francis for his leadership style and decision-making processes. They argued that he had centralized power too much and had not consulted with enough members of the church hierarchy.
In December 2023, in a decision that was deemed a seismic shift, Francis approved allowing Catholic clergy to bless same-sex couples — issuing a document detailing the change in the Vatican’s policy — as long as it didn’t resemble a marriage ceremony.
“It was quite a year for a pope who’s obviously thinking about legacy and finishing up,” Christopher Bellitto, professor of history at Kean University in New Jersey, told Politico about the year Francis had in 2023.
The 5,000-word document — issued by the Vatican’s Doctrine of the Faith — elaborated on a letter the pontiff had sent to cardinals. In that letter, Pope Francis had said such blessings could be offered under some circumstances if they didn’t confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage.
The Vatican document, issued by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernandez, repeated those conditions and reaffirmed that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman. The document also said Catholic priests should decide on a case-by-case basis, but that it “should not prevent or prohibit the church's closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God's help through a simple blessing.”
“Francis also opened up the church to conversation and debate in a way that had not been seen in the church since the Second Vatican Council. Fearing the church had become too chaotic, John Paul had used Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to clamp down on priests and theologians who wanted to continue discussing doctrinal issues in the wake of Vatican II,” Thomas Reese, a priest and columnist, wrote in March 2023. “Francis, on the other hand, held that ‘open and fraternal debate makes theological and pastoral thought grow. That doesn't frighten me. What's more, I look for it.’ This freed theologians to talk about how the church could present the gospel message in a way that is understandable in the 21st century.”
In 2013, a remarkably candid Francis appeared to strike a conciliatory stance toward LGBTQ Catholics, saying “who am I to judge” when it comes to the sexual orientation of priests.
“We shouldn’t marginalize people for this,” he said at the time. “They must be integrated into society.”
The Holy See, however, had long said it could not bless same-sex couples because it would undermine church teaching that marriage is only between a man and a woman. In 2021, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had said the church could not do so because “God cannot bless sin.”
The church also teaches that same-sex attraction is not a sin, but that homosexual acts are.
The issue has been a point of contention in Catholicism as well over the past few years — especially in Germany — where some priests regularly offer same-sex blessings despite past resistance from the Holy See.
“That’s why he speaks about breaking down barriers, coming outward and actually moving and bringing others in,” Pimentel said. “Bringing those who are at the peripheries, those who are at the margins, those who have been left out because we have become a church that is so comfortable in a little bubble that makes us OK, and we have left people out.”
Francis created cardinals from 72 different nations — 24 of those nations have never had a cardinal before. Pope Francis also showed that he did not choose based on the traditional seats of cardinals. For example, there are no cardinals to lead the two historic European patriarchates of Lisbon and Venice, nor in Los Angeles, Milan, Florence or Paris.
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Scandals, trials and legacy
There were also controversies that took place during Francis’ pontificate.
In 2020, a Vatican investigation into former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick found that bishops, cardinals and popes downplayed or dismissed several reports of sexual misconduct. The report also determined that Pope Francis merely continued his predecessors’ handling of the predator until taking action when a former altar boy alleged abuse.
The Vatican took the extraordinary step of publishing its two-year, 449-page internal probe into the American prelate’s rise and fall. The report spared Francis. Instead, it put the lion’s share of blame on a dead saint: Pope John Paul II, who appointed McCarrick archbishop of Washington, D.C., in 2000, despite having commissioned an inquiry that confirmed he slept with seminarians.
In Francis’ 2025 memoir “Hope,” the pope did spend some time addressing issues linked to the clergy sexual-abuse crisis, including the McCarrick case. However, the pope never addressed why McCarrick, one of the most-powerful Catholic prelates in the U.S., had deemed himself kingmaker ahead of the conclave, saying he was responsible for getting a reformer like Francis elected.
In December 2023, Cardinal Angelo Becciu, a close Francis adviser, was found guilty by a three-judge Vatican panel of embezzlement and fraud in a high-profile corruption case that rocked the Holy See’s hierarchy.
Following a marathon trial that began in July 2021, Becciu was convicted — along with eight others — in a courtroom located inside the Vatican Museums. He was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison. Becciu had served as the Vatican’s former deputy secretary of state, and became the first-ever prelate to be prosecuted in the Vatican’s criminal court system and the highest-ranking clergyman in the Catholic church to face justice by the Holy See.
The two-year trial was borne out of the Holy See's $380 million investment in a London property, but grew to include a host of other financial dealings.
Scandals and trials aside, Francis often has received favorable ratings from 80% or more of U.S. Catholics, according to Pew Research Center surveys. His highest favorability rating was 90% in February 2015. In a February 2024 survey, his favorability rating in the U.S. was 75%.
Views about Francis became increasingly polarized over the years. In the 2024 survey, Pew found that 89% of Catholics who are Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party held a positive view of him, compared with 63% of Catholics who are Republicans or lean Republican.
Francis has long been accused of teasing big reforms before either ditching them or rolling them out on his own, often confusing, terms. As a result, experts said Francis will be remembered in a variety of ways.
“What legacy, then, is Pope Francis leaving to his successor? There is a strong media impact, centered, however, on the person of this pope, and the idea of a pope who has come for people with low incomes and the peripheries, also centered on this pope,” said Vatican watcher Andrea Gagliarducci. “There is a curial institution in crisis, a priestly class with wounded pride and a series of decisions that certainly changed the course of history, but every change has been in a direction that leads to Francis, who will be gone.”
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor of Religion Unplugged. He previously served as deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and a longtime reporter at The New York Post. Follow him on X @ClementeLisi.