“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’”
John 11:25–26
Pope Francis, the 266th head of the Catholic Church, died on April 21 at the age of 88 following a battle with pneumonia.
He was born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Dec. 17, 1936. After having part of a lung removed due to a disease, he was inspired to join the Jesuits, which he did on March 12, 1960.
From there, he rose through the ranks of the Catholic Church. He was ordained in 1969, became a coadjutor archbishop in 1997, and was ordained a cardinal in 2001.
After Pope Benedict XVI resigned from the papacy on Feb. 28, 2013, a papal conclave was held to elect his successor. Bergoglio was chosen and took the name Francis. He officially became pope on March 13.
Francis was exceptional as pope as he brought humility and more liberal ideas to the Vatican that were not accepted before.
Shortly after becoming pope, he gained wide popularity for saying, “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?” and publicly opposed the marginalization of gay people in society.
He also advocated for climate change prevention and spoke about the downsides of capitalism and its effect on the poor.
In early 2024, he said, “I like to think hell is empty; I hope it is.” This was in relation to the Catholic belief in an all-loving, all-forgiving God. A statement like this was unheard of for the pope.
On Feb. 14, 2025, Pope Francis was admitted to the Gemelli Hospital for bronchitis. He garnered support world-wide and improved over the next two months. During a celebration of Easter Sunday, he called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
He died in the early hours of Easter Monday, the next morning. The cause of death is currently unknown.
His body will be displayed in Saint Peter’s Basilica, as is tradition.
Archbishop Cordileone released the statement, “Pope Francis called on us all to give more, sacrifice more, and care more about the poorest and most vulnerable, from the tiny infant in the womb, to the elderly and infirm, to the migrant and the refugee,” along with a short prayer for his soul.
