1936–2025
Latest News: Pope Francis Died of a Stroke and Heart Failure
The Vatican has shared more details about Pope Francis’ death and his upcoming funeral, which will be held April 26.
The Roman Catholic Church’s first Latin American pontiff, who was known for his progressive stances on social issues, died in his Vatican City residence on April 21. The 88-year-old’s death came just one day after delivering his yearly address on Easter Sunday.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said in a statement. “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church.”
Later that day, the Vatican shared the cause of death: Pope Francis experienced a catastrophic stroke that left him in a coma and caused irreversible heart failure. Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease, was recently hospitalized for a bout of bronchitis that developed into a respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia. After a 5-week stay, during which he had two near-death experiences, he was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital in late March.
Beginning April 23, Francis’ body will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days. That is also where his funeral will be held on Saturday. U.S. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are among the dignitaries expected to attend. Francis will then be buried at the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, breaking longstanding tradition for popes to rest at the Vatican. Once the period of mourning concludes, the College of Cardinals will convene a papal conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Francis made history in 2013 when he became the Catholic Church’s first pontiff from the Americas. During his 12-year papacy, Pope Francis championed historically progressive causes and became known for his advocacy of immigrants and the poor as well as his environmental activism. He was also the first pope to call laws that criminalize homosexuality “unjust” and was heavily invested in global peace, condemning all wars and bloodshed. Francis even changed the church’s stance on the death penalty, calling it “inadmissible.”
Still, the pope’s legacy took a hit amid the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal when he discredited Chilean survivors of abuse. The pope later apologized for his “grave error” and made a number of reforms, including defrocking Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, who the Vatican found guilty of assaulting both children and adults.
Who Was Pope Francis?
Pope Francis served as the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church from March 2013 to April 2025. The first pope from the Americas, Francis took his papal title after Saint Francis of Assisi of Italy. Prior to his election as pope, he spent more than a decade as cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church of Argentina and archbishop of Buenos Aires. Francis was also president of the Bishops’ Conference of Argentina from 2005 to 2011. Named Person of the Year by Time magazine in 2013, Pope Francis’ tenure was characterized by humility and outspoken support of the world’s poor and marginalized people. He also advocated for peace and the protection of the environment. After months of declining health, Pope Francis died in April 2025 at age 88.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Jorge Mario Bergoglio
BORN: December 17, 1936
DIED: April 21, 2025
BIRTHPLACE: Buenos Aires, Argentina
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Sagittarius
Early Life and Education
Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936. His parents, Mario and Regina, were Italian immigrants.
As a young man, Bergoglio underwent surgery to remove part of one of his lungs due to a serious infection. He graduated from a technical school as a chemical technician before beginning training at the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto. In March 1958, he entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus.
Bergoglio taught literature and psychology at Immaculate Conception College in the Argentinian province of Santa Fé in 1964 and 1965. The next year, he taught the same subjects at the Colegio del Salvatore in Buenos Aires. He studied theology at the Colegio of San José from 1967 to 1970. After receiving a degree from the institution, he finished his doctoral thesis in theology in Freiburg, Germany, in 1986.
Priesthood
Ordained as a priest in December 1969, Bergoglio began serving as Jesuit provincial of Argentina in 1973. He has said that initially, his mother didn’t support his decision to enter the priesthood despite the fact that she was a devout Catholic. By the time he was ordained, however, she accepted his calling and asked for his blessing at the end of his ordination ceremony. He later returned to the Colegio of San José, his alma mater, where he served as rector from 1980 to 1986 as well as a professor of theology.
On May 20, 1992, Bergoglio was named titular bishop of Auca and auxiliary of Buenos Aires; he was ordained into that post a week later. In February 1998, he became archbishop of Buenos Aires, succeeding Antonio Quarracino. Three years later, in February 2001, he was elevated to cardinal by Pope John Paul II and named the cardinal-priest of Saint Robert Bellarmino. He served as president of the Bishops’ Conference of Argentina from 2005 until 2011.
After Pope John Paul II’s death in April 2005, Bergoglio reportedly received the second-most votes in the ensuing papal conclave. However, Pope Benedict XVI was chosen as Pope John Paul’s successor.
Papal Years
On March 13, 2013, at the age of 76, Bergoglio was named the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. The new pontiff adopted the name Pope Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi of Italy. He was the first citizen from the Americas, the first South American, and the first Jesuit priest to be named pope. Prior to the 2013 papal conclave, Pope Francis had served as both cardinal and archbishop for more than 12 years.
The tone of his papacy, which was admired globally, was established long before his elevation to the church’s highest position; however, when he was named to that post, the media quickly picked up on stories of his humility. News circulated about the fact that he returned to the boarding house where he had been staying to pay his bill personally, rather than send an assistant, and that he would choose to live in a simple two-room apartment rather than the luxurious papal accommodations in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. In choosing to live more simply, Pope Francis broke a tradition that had been upheld by popes for more than a century.
Addressing a crowd of tens of thousands in Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican City after his selection by the conclave, Pope Francis stated: “As you know, the duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome. It seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from faraway... Here I am. I would like to thank you for your embrace.”
After the results of the 2013 papal conclave were announced, then–U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement about the new pope: “As the first pope from the Americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world, and alongside millions of Hispanic Americans, those of us in the United States share the joy of this historic day.”
It wasn’t long after assuming the papacy that Pope Francis began offering more nuanced views and interpretations on key social issues about which the church holds pronounced doctrinal views. He didn’t shy away from elaborating on those views, and sound bytes such as “Who am I to judge?”—a comment he made referring to homosexuality—served to portray him as a compassionate conservative whose views are often considered progressive compared to those of his predecessors.
First International Visit as Pope
Pope Francis made his first international visit on July 22, 2013, when he arrived at the Galeão-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro. There, he was greeted by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in a welcome ceremony and later circulated in downtown Rio in order to be “close to the people.”
While in Brazil, Pope Francis was on hand to celebrate World Youth Day. More than three million people attended the pontiff’s closing mass at the event. On his way back to Rome, Pope Francis surprised reporters traveling with him about his seemingly open stance on gay Catholics. According to The New York Times, he told the press: “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” His remarks were heralded by several gay and lesbian groups as a welcoming gesture by the Roman Catholic Church.
Spiritual and World Leadership
In September 2013, Pope Francis called for others to join him in praying for peace in Syria. The pontiff held a special vigil in Saint Peter’s Square on September 7, which was attended by an estimated 100,000 people. According to the Catholic News Service, Francis told the crowd: “When man thinks only of himself... [and] permits himself to be captivated by the idols of dominion and power..., [t]hen the door opens to violence, indifference, and conflict.”
The pope implored those involved in the conflict to find a peaceful solution. “Leave behind the self-interest that hardens your heart, overcome the indifference that makes your heart insensitive towards others, conquer your deadly reasoning, and open yourself to dialogue and reconciliation,” he said.
Later that month, Pope Francis gave a revealing interview to an Italian Jesuit publication called La Civiltà Cattolica. He explained that religious dialogue must be broader in scope, not simply focused on such issues as homosexuality and abortion. “We have to find a new balance; otherwise, even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel,” the pope said. “The proposal of the Gospel must be more simple, profound, radiant. It is from this proposition that the moral consequences then flow.”
While he didn’t believe women should be ordained as priests, Francis considered women an essential part of the church. “The feminine genius is needed wherever we make important decisions,” he said. He also continued to present a more accepting attitude toward homosexuality than previous pontiffs, saying that “God in creation has set us free: it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person,” according to The Guardian.
In early December 2013, Pope Francis gave an “apostolic exhortation,” an address calling for big changes in the Catholic Church, including rethinking long-held but antiquated customs. “I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security,” he stated. “I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures.”
Also in December 2013, Pope Francis was named Person of the Year by Time magazine. Pope Francis—having joined the ranks of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII, the only other popes to be awarded the title in 1994 and 1963, respectively—was a contender against other prominent figures of the year, including NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, Senator Ted Cruz, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and LGBTQ activist Edith Windsor. In the article, it was revealed that the deciding factor that led to Pope Francis landing at the top of the list was his ability to alter the minds of so many people who had given up on the Catholic Church in such a short period of time.
The following March, it was announced that Pope Francis had been nominated for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. He didn’t receive this honor, but he continued to devote his time to reach out to Catholics around the world. During that summer, Pope Francis went on his first visit to Asia. He spent five days in South Korea in August.
On his return trip from South Korea, Pope Francis discussed his own mortality with the press. “Two or three years and then I’ll be off to my Father’s house,” he said, according to a report in The Guardian. He also suffered a personal loss around that same time after several members of his family were killed in a car accident in Argentina.
Progressive Stances
In fall 2014, Pope Francis showed himself to be progressive on several scientific issues. He told the members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences that he supported the Big Bang theory and evolution. According to The Independent newspaper, Pope Francis said that “The Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it.” He also said that evolution “is not inconsistent with the notion of creation.”
Throughout late 2014 and into 2015, Pope Francis continued his pattern of deep engagement with both political and environmental conflicts around the world. He spoke out against global abuses and the misuse of political and economic power, lamenting the disappearances and suspected murders of 43 students in Mexico; the dangers and losses of life caused by immigration; financial mismanagement within the church itself; and sexual abuse. His decision to crack down on church corruption and excommunicate members of the Mafia were hailed by Catholics and non-Catholics alike, though they also caused him to receive death threats.
The pope tackled other political blockades too, bringing together Cuban President Raul Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama in a historic meeting that precipitated significant foreign policy changes. Finally, his ambitious schedule of travel continued—with visits to Paraguay, Bolivia, and Ecuador—along with his beatifications. During his tenure, Francis beatified more than three dozen people, including Óscar Romero, a priest from El Salvador who was assassinated in 1980 because of his espousal of liberation theology and his activism to protect marginalized people. He also canonized more than 925 saints, setting a record for a single pope, and approved the canonization of the first millennial saint.
In September 2015, Pope Francis continued to stir up the status quo in the Catholic Church when he announced that priests around the world will be allowed to forgive the “sin of abortion” during a “year of mercy,” which started in early December 2015. The pope wrote about this act of compassion in a letter, stating: “I think in particular of all the women who have resorted to abortion. I am well aware of the pressure that has led them to this decision. I know that it is an existential and moral ordeal. I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision. What has happened is profoundly unjust; yet only understanding the truth of it can enable one not to lose hope.”
He added: “The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented, especially when that person approaches the Sacrament of Confession with a sincere heart in order to obtain reconciliation with the Father. For this reason too, I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it.”
On November 21, 2016, as the Jubilee Year of Mercy ended, the Vatican announced that the pope had extended the dispensation to all priests to absolve “the grave sin” of abortion. The policy was documented in an apostolic letter written by the pope, which stated:
“I henceforth grant to all priests, in virtue of their ministry, the faculty to absolve those who have committed the sin of procured abortion. The provision I had made in this regard, limited to the duration of the Extraordinary Holy Year, is hereby extended, notwithstanding anything to the contrary. I wish to restate as firmly as I can that abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life. In the same way, however, I can and must state that there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father. May every priest, therefore, be a guide, support and comfort to penitents on this journey of special reconciliation.”
In November 2017, Pope Francis visited Myanmar amid a humanitarian crisis that had sparked the exodus of more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims from the country. The pope first met with powerful military General Min Aung Hlaing, who refuted reports of ethnic cleansing by claiming there was “no religious discrimination in Myanmar.” He then made a joint appearance with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi to deliver a highly anticipated speech in which he called for tolerance but avoided the term “Rohingya” and stopped short of condemning the persecution, drawing criticism from those who wanted to see a more forceful stance. The pope also met with other religious leaders, after which he headed to Bangladesh to show support for Rohingya refugees.
During a television interview in early December 2017, Pope Francis suggested a small but meaningful change to “Our Father,” commonly known as the “Lord’s Prayer.” One line in the prayer had been recited for generations in English as “lead us not into temptation,” but the pope said that was “not a good translation,” pointing out the French Catholic translation, “do not let us fall into temptation,” as a more appropriate alternative.
After expressing support of breastfeeding in public during the annual Holy Mass on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in 2017, the pope made similar comments during the 2018 ceremony. Noting how one baby crying would spark others to follow suit, he said that if the babies in attendance were “starting a concert” of crying because they were hungry, then mothers should feel free to feed them right there as part of the “language of love.”
In August 2018, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had approved a change to the Catechism of the Catholic Church that now considers the death penalty “inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.” The church explained the new policy as an “evolution” of the previous doctrine, which allowed consideration of capital punishment if it were “the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.” The pope had previously spoken out against the death penalty, saying it violated the Gospel.
Not all of the pope’s decisions were designed to bring about change: A papal letter made public in February 2020 revealed his rejection of a proposal to allow the ordination of married men in remote areas underserved by priests, an outcome that pleased Catholic conservatives who worried about the weakening of church traditions.
In October 2020, Pope Francis expressed his support for same-sex civil unions as seen in the documentary Francisco. “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered,” Francis said in the documentary. Three years later, he approved another major shift in the faith by granting Catholic priests permission to bless same-sex couples as long as they don’t sanctify the marriage itself.
For all his support toward LGBTQ individuals, Francis shocked the world by twice using an Italian homophobic slur in closed-door meetings during the summer of 2024. The Vatican issued an apology after the first instance.
Environmental Activism
In June 2015, Pope Francis spoke out about the environment. He released a 184-page encyclical, a type of Papal message, warning of the dangers of climate change. In this letter, entitled “Laudato Si,” Pope Francis wrote: “If present trends continue, this century may well witness extraordinary climate change and an unprecedented destruction of ecosystems, with serious consequences for all of us.”
Pope Francis chided world leaders for failing to “reach truly meaningful and effective global agreements on the environment.” He also called for “highly polluting fossil fuels” to be “progressively replaced without delay.” And while improving and protecting the environment will be difficult, the situation wasn’t hopeless, according to Pope Francis. “Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start.” The encyclical was considered significant by environmentalists and church observers alike because it was not directed exclusively to Catholics but to everyone in the world.
Role in Sexual Abuse Scandal
Normally greeted by adoring crowds, Pope Francis faced hostility ahead of his three-day trip to Chile in January 2018, stemming from lingering anger over his appointment of a bishop accused of covering up sexual abuse by another priest. At least five churches were attacked in the days leading up to his visit. In one case, vandals lefts a threatening message directed at the pope.
Upon his arrival, Pope Francis delivered a speech in which he asked for forgiveness for the pain caused by some ministers of the church and promised to do his best to make sure such abuse never happened again. However, he subsequently angered sexual abuse victims by claiming he had yet to learn of any “proof” of an alleged cover-up by the bishop in question.
Shortly after the pope returned to Rome in late January, the Vatican announced that it was dispatching Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the church’s “Eliot Ness” of sex abuse investigations, to Chile to look into the issue and “hear those who have expressed the desire to provide elements in their possession.”
The archbishop’s investigation, which included interviews with dozens of witnesses and produced a 2,300-page report, had a powerful effect on Pope Francis. In April, the Vatican announced that Chilean bishops were being summoned to Rome for emergency discussions. It also released a letter in which the pope acknowledged “serious mistakes” in his handling of the matter, saying he felt “pain and shame” for the “crucified lives” of victims.
Late in the month, it was announced that the pope would host three of the victims from Chile. The Vatican said that the pope would meet with each man individually, “allowing each one to speak for as long as they wish.”
In August 2018, a Pennsylvania grand jury report described the actions of more than 300 “predator priests” and their 1,000-plus underage victims as well as attempts to cover up their misdeeds. Initially silent, the pope weighed in with a letter released by the Vatican nearly a week later, in which he acknowledged “with shame and repentance” the church’s failure to properly act in response to the longstanding allegations.
Days later, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the former top Vatican diplomat in the United States, published a letter that accused Pope Francis of covering up reports of sexual abuse by recently resigned Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington D.C. After defrocking McCarrick in February 2019, the pope convened a four-day summit at the Vatican devoted to the longstanding problem of sexual abuse. Titled “The Protection of Minors in the Church,” the summit drew 190 church leaders from around the world. However, its conclusion was followed by news that the pope’s financial adviser, Australian Cardinal George Pell, had been convicted of sexually abusing two 13-year-old boys.
In December 2019, Pope Francis announced that the church would be abolishing the rule of “pontifical secrecy” in matters related to sexual abuse, allowing for increased cooperation with secular authorities. The pope also raised the age at which the Vatican considers the subjects of pornographic images to be grouped under child pornography from 14 to 18.
Documentary and Autobiography
Pope Francis: A Man of His Word debuted at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. The documentary, written and directed by Wim Wenders, showed the pope’s “work of reform and his answers to today’s global questions from death, social justice, immigration, ecology, wealth inequality, materialism, and the role of the family.” A co-production with the Vatican, the movie also followed the pope on his journeys around to world to places like the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem and Ground Zero to the Holy Land and Africa.
Breaking convention yet again, Francis become the first sitting pope to write an autobiography. Hope: The Autobiography was published in January 2025 in more than 80 countries. Francis reflected on his early life and his papacy in the book.
Declining Health and Death
Pope Francis was hospitalized for various health conditions toward the end of his life. In 2023, he underwent hernia surgery in June and spent three days in the hospital that March for bronchitis.
In February 2025, the pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young adult, was rushed to the hospital for another bout of bronchitis, which quickly developed into a respiratory tract infection and pneumonia in both of his lungs. After experiencing an “asthma-like respiratory crisis,” he was given supplemental oxygen to aid his breathing. His blood tests revealed that he also had mild kidney disease. The Vatican said the leader of the Catholic Church was in critical but stable condition at the time.
After a five-week stay, Pope Francis was discharged from the hospital in late March 2025. On his way back to Vatican City, he stopped to make his first public appearance in over a month at Rome’s Papal Basilica. The pope’s doctors said he had two near-death experiences while hospitalized but remained stable for two weeks prior his release.
Pope Francis died a month later on April 21, 2025, in Vatican City. He was 88 and had just delivered an address for Easter Sunday the day prior. Before his death, he requested pared down funeral rites, aligning with his lifelong humility. He also requested to be buried at the Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major, not in the Vatican like other popes, so that he would be closer to his favorite icon of the Madonna.
Quotes
- I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures.
- As you know, the duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome. It seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from faraway... Here I am. I would like to thank you for your embrace.
- My people are poor, and I am one of them.
- We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind.
- A good political leader is one who, with the interests of all in mind, seizes the moment in a spirit of openness and pragmatism. A good political leader always opts to initiate processes rather than possessing spaces.
- Being at the service of dialogue and peace also means being truly determined to minimize and, in the long term, to end the many armed conflicts throughout our world. Here we have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade.
- A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms.
- The contemporary world, with its open wounds which affect so many of our brothers and sisters, demands that we confront every form of polarization which would divide it into these two camps.
- We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.
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