In the early morning on April 21, Pope Francis fell into a stroke-induced coma and died. In the following weeks, the 266th head of the Catholic Church was mourned by literally billions of people from all faiths.
He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1936 with the given name Jorge Mario Borgoglio.
Throughout his early life, he worked many short-term jobs, most notably a club bouncer.
He joined the Jesuits in 1960 and worked his way up the Church ranks before becoming Pope on March 13, 2013.
He drew much more attention due to his more liberal beliefs when compared to his predecessors.
Just months after being inaugurated, he said in an interview, “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?”
In the 2020 documentary film “Francesco,” he stated, “Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family.”
Francis publicly criticized disregard for the environment, calling for ecocide to be a sin.
The Pope also denounced material wealth and promoted charity. He chose the name of Francis from St. Francis of Assisi because of his concern for the poor.
Religion instructor Ray Dominguez said, “He saw that there was a need to model the caritas, or the charity that was proclaimed in the gospel, that seemed to not be modeled when you’re doing legislation and policy.”
Following his death, people from all walks of life joined in remembering the man. His humility and sympathy made him a role model for those within and outside of the Catholic faith.
Pope Francis died on April 21 at the age of 88. He is remembered for his calls for peace and unity, which spoke to people of all beliefs and walks of life.
National and religious leaders voiced their respect for Francis.
The Dalai Lama released a statement: “The best tribute we can pay to him is to be a warm-hearted person, serving others wherever and in whatever way we can.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order for all American flags to be flown at half-staff.
He later gained scrutiny from Catholic officials after he said, “I’d like to be pope,” and later posted an AI-generated image of himself as pope on Truth Social.
Benji McClure ’26 described Pope Francis as “a very influential pope who really cared about the people.”
In coordination with tradition, his body was displayed at St. Peter’s Basilica for the public to pay their respects. He was buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Even after his death, his charity carries on. As per his request, one of his popemobiles, a specially enforced car meant for security measures, is being sent to the Gaza strip to act as a mobile health clinic for children.
On May 8, the second day of the papal conclave, cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the Pope Leo XIV. At 7:23 a.m. he stepped onto the balcony and addressed the crowd formed in St. Peter’s Square, saying, “Peace be with you.”
Pope Leo XIV is 69 years old and was born in Chicago, making him the first U.S.-born pope, and the second pope from the Americas after his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Religion Department Chair Danielle Jow expressed, “I am super excited that we have an American pope because this is a huge historic moment for our country to be able to have a pope whose native language is English.”
His career is also somewhat similar to his predecessor’s since they both worked towards a career in the sciences before becoming priests.
One other similarity is that Pope Leo XIV is the first pope from the order of St. Augustine while Francis was the first Jesuit pope.
In 2020, he was appointed apostolic administer of Callo, Peru. While there, he supported environmentalist causes and immigrants fleeing Nicolás Maduro’s presidency in Venezuela.
Jow added, “He has this heart of humility and also a heart for social justice, but also an awareness of how to evangelize in the modern times, where he knows that technology, … the crisis of the family are all things that affect the faith in the world.”
In a public release, the Prior General, through the Secretariat of the General Curia of the Order of Saint Augustine, together with his entire General Council, “rejoices and celebrates the election of our dear brother, Fr. Robert F. Prevost, as Roman Pontiff.”
He delivered his opening address in both Italian and Spanish, and in it, he expressed a feeling of goodwill to all, stating, “Peace be with you! Dearest brothers and sisters, this was the first greeting of the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are; and all the peoples, and all the earth: Peace be with you.”
Pope Leo XIV has been described as a moderate, and has criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies online.
In his own words, “We have to look together how to be a missionary Church, building bridges, dialogue, always open to receiving with open arms for everyone, like this square, open to all, to all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love.”
