Pope Francis, the world’s first Latin American pontiff who overcame fierce resistance to reshape the Catholic Church, has died. He was 88.
The pope’s death was announced on Easter Monday (April 21) by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican Camerlengo, per BBC reports.
“Dear brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” a statement from the camerlengo said.
“At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalized.”
“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the Triune God,” the statement concluded
The death of Pope Francis, who became the first Latin American pontiff in 2013 and one of the oldest popes in Catholic history, comes just weeks after he was discharged from a Rome hospital having battled a life-threatening case of pneumonia.
His physician said his condition had stabilized, allowing him to continue his convalescence at his Santa Maria residence back at the Vatican.
A few weeks later, the Pope delighted congregants by making a surprise appearance at St. Peter’s Square. He also spent 30 minutes at a prison in Rome on Thursday and even made a high-profile appearance in public on Easter Sunday (April 20).
And while he didn’t appear as his usual self on Sunday, Pope Francis still managed to address a massive crowd of worshippers. He also gave the traditional Easter blessing from the balcony of the Basilica in the Vatican.
Pope Francis’ death will open a fierce debate about the future direction of the Catholic Church, with Cardinals from across the world expected to gather at the Vatican in the coming days to mourn the pontiff and then elect his successor.
An outsider and the first non-European pontiff in over 1,300 years, Pope Francis championed the poor, tirelessly advocated for migrants, and the environment. However, the divisions over same-sex marriages and how to tackle abuse scandals within the church made him a target of powerful conservative Catholic forces in the U.S.
Still, many felt he fell short, especially survivors of abuse and their families. In 2019, advocates criticized his directive requiring priests and nuns to report clerical sex abuse internally to their superiors, rather than to law enforcement.
Francis also drew backlash from archconservative American clerics over his support for Covid vaccinations, and was even accused of heresy for moves like easing restrictions on Communion for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics.
Still, like his predecessors, Francis also held conservative clerical values. He was against abortion, saying the procedure was like “hiring a hit man to solve a problem.”
He was also in favor of clerical celibacy and was opposed to ordaining women, although he was open to giving them a greater role in running the church.
.
