The world woke up to tragic news on April 21, 2025. Pope Francis, the world’s universally respected head of the Catholic Church, died at 88. He was announced deceased officially by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, camerlengo of the Vatican, who informed the public that the Holy Father passed away in his sleep at 7:35 a.m. The death of Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, closes the book on a richly human, reforming, and expansive papacy that made a lasting impact on the global Catholic world and well beyond.
From Buenos Aires to the Vatican: The Unlikely Journey
Born in Argentina on December 17, 1936, to Italian immigrant parents, Bergoglio spent his formative years in a humble home. His early years were anything but on the road to priesthood. He was a bouncer and a lab assistant and even considered studies in medicine and romance. He had a girlfriend, danced the tango, and lived like so many young men of his generation. But then came one life-changing experience at a church confessional that awakened something permanent in his heart. It was like a guiding hand of the divine toward priesthood that he could not resist.
Becoming a Jesuit: Discipline, Purpose, and Obedience
In 1958, Bergoglio joined the Society of Jesus, embarking on a path based on service and spiritual discipline. The Jesuits are renowned for their dedication to education, academic excellence, and vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience—principles Bergoglio adopted in earnest. By 1973, he was the provincial leader of the Jesuits in Argentina at a time when the country was plagued by political turmoil and military dictatorship.
Despite controversies and rumors challenging the church’s involvement in Argentina’s so-called “Dirty War,” human rights activists such as Nobel laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel absolved Bergoglio of complicity. In fact, later reports emerged that testified to his humble attempts to defend the regime’s victims.
A Simple Man Who Rose to the Papacy
Ordained a priest in 1969, Bergoglio spent years teaching, doing theology studies, and doing parish work. Humility was his constant; he lived in a small apartment instead of grand clergy homes, even as a cardinal. When he was made Archbishop of Buenos Aires and subsequently made cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II, few knew the future pope was among them with barely an announcement.
When he was elected pope in 2013, he broke tradition as the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, and the first to adopt the name Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, a saint who is remembered for his compassion and humility.
A Papacy of Firsts, Reforms, and Warmth
Francis’s papacy was marked by an unwavering focus on inclusion, social justice, and care for the poor. He challenged church traditions with gentle boldness, welcoming dialogue around LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, and interfaith unity. His 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, addressing environmental stewardship, stirred global conversations on faith and ecological responsibility.
Francis also called for a less top-heavy church and called for reform in Vatican administration, financial accountability, and abuse oversight. But more than policies, it was his warmth that attracted people. He welcomed the faithful with humor, smiled frequently, and visited the world not as a monarch, but as a servant.
Living by Example, Dying with Grace
Even as pope, Francis insisted on dwelling in the Vatican guesthouse instead of the gilded Apostolic Palace. He traveled coach. He washed the feet of inmates. He demonstrated that leadership needn’t go in tandem with grandeur.
His ailing health was public. After having colon surgery in 2021, he experienced repeated respiratory problems, such as a bout of bronchitis that escalated into double pneumonia earlier this year. But days before his death, he was spotted welcoming worshippers at St. Peter’s Square, representing resilience until the very end.
A Lasting Impact on Faith and Humanity
Pope Francis’s legacy lies not just in doctrinal shifts or church politics but in his ability to make faith feel human again. He listened more than he lectured. He stood with the marginalized. He reminded a billion Catholics and many non-Catholics that the Church could still be a force of empathy and unity in a fractured world.
As the Vatican tolls its bells in sorrow and preparations are made for the forthcoming conclave, the memory of Pope Francis continues to be imprinted in the hearts of millions. He was a man who never desired power but ended up being one of the most powerful moral voices of our generation, not through dominance, but through humility.
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