Catholic Church leader Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, in Vatican City. His death, caused by a cerebral stroke and cardiocirculatory collapse, marked the end of an impactful and purposeful papacy.
Pope Francis, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was the first Pope from the Western hemisphere, the first from South America, and the first Jesuit to lead the Catholic Church. He was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1969 and led the religious order in Argentina during the country’s dictatorship from 1976-1983. He became archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was elevated to cardinal in 2001 by St. John Paul II. Pope Francis was elected the 266th pope on March 13, 2013, on the fifth ballot.
Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis earned a reputation for humility and made numerous significant decisions. Supporting immigrants was one of Pope Francis’s top priorities during his papacy. In fact, he dedicated his first trip outside Rome in 2013 to meeting newly arrived immigrants in the Sicilian island of Lampedusa.
Pope Francis was an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights as he approved blessings for same-sex couples. In his first papal news conference, he declared, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?” Furthermore, by issuing Laudato si’ (“Praise Be to You”), the second encyclical of his papacy, Pope Francis showed his care for the environment. He believed that environmental degradation is “a moral issue” provoked by greed and unchecked capitalism, causing people to lose sight of the relationship that binds them together and to neglect their “common home,” Earth.
Pope Francis lived a simple lifestyle. He paid his own bill at the Vatican hotel where he stayed during the conclave that elected him, and he rode around town in a modest Ford Focus. He believed that “humility is everything” and led by example.
Pope Francis leaves behind a legacy defined by compassion, inclusiveness, and a deep emphasis on humility and mercy. Leaders around the world have expressed their tributes, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Argentine President Javier Milei, and representatives of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide mourn his passing, and more than 60,000 people have paid their respects to the late pope’s body in St. Peter’s Basilica since April 24, 2025. His funeral took place on April 26, 2025, drawing a crowd of over 250,000 attendees.
Sources:
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“Francis | Biography, Pope, Laudato Si’, Roman Catholic Church, & Facts.” Britannica, 24 March 2016, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francis-I-pope. Accessed 11 May 2025.
“Live updates: Funeral of Pope Francis, interred at Santa Maria Maggiore.” CNN, 26 April 2025, https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/pope-francis-funeral/index.html. Accessed 11 May 2025.
“Pope Francis reached out to migrants and LGBTQ+ community, but also drew unusual opposition.” PBS, 21 April 2025, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/pope-francis-reached-out-to-migrants-and-lgbtq-community-but-also-drew-unusual-opposition. Accessed 11 May 2025.
Santucci, Matthew. “Pope: Humility is ‘source of peace in the world and in the Church.’” Catholic News Agency, 22 May 2024, https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/257767/pope-francis-humility-is-the-source-of-peace-in-the-world-and-in-the-church. Accessed 11 May 2025.
Tornielli, Andrea. “Farewell to Pope Francis as pages of the Gospel turn in the wind.” Vatican News, 26 April 2025, https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-04/the-farewell-to-pope-francis-and-gospel-pages-turning-in-wind.html. Accessed 11 May 2025.
Yardley, Jim. “Francis, the First Latin American Pope, Dies at 88.” The New York Times, 22 April 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/world/europe/pope-francis-dead.html. Accessed 11 May 2025.
