The first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Jorge Bergoglio, known as Pope Francis, died Monday at the age of 88.
His death comes a day after his brief but final appearance before thousands of Catholic pilgrims at St. Peter’s Square in Rome during the Vatican’s Easter Sunday Mass.
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During his appearance, he wished the crowd “Happy Easter,” and an aide then delivered his final benediction.
There have been concerns over his health for several months, but the concerns grew in the days after 23 March, when he was discharged from the hospital and disregarded doctors’ orders by visiting a prison in Rome.
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The pontiff faced several health challenges throughout his 12-year papacy, with his condition worsening in recent weeks due to severe complications from a bout of double pneumonia.
As the world mourns the passing of the spiritual leader of over 1.3 billion Catholics, here are 10 important things to know about him.
First non-European Catholic leader in decades
His ascension to leadership was accompanied by many firsts. He is the first non-European leader of the Roman Catholic Church in over a millennium.
The last non-European pope before him was Pope Gregory III, who was born in Syria and served from 731 to 741 AD.
Born on 17 December 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the pontiff was the son of Italian immigrant parents. His father, a railway worker, and his mother, a homemaker, raised him in a modest, working-class home. Throughout his lifetime, Mr Bergoglio was reported to have a strong connection to both his Italian heritage and his Argentine identity.
Before his election in 2013, many Catholics assumed the new pope would be younger. However, he was well into his seventies when he became pope in 2013.
First Jesuit Pope
Mr Bergoglio holds a historic place in the Catholic Church as the first Jesuit pope. The Jesuits, also known as the Society of Jesus, are a religious order founded in the 16th century.
Although the Jesuits have been a powerful and influential religious order since their founding in 1540, no member had ever become pope before Mr Bergoglio.
According to media reports, this is partly because they traditionally avoid seeking higher office and instead focus on education, missionary work, and serving under the pope, rather than leading the Church themselves.
Succeeded Pope Benedict XVI
He succeeded Pope Benedict XVI, who made history as the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years—and the first to do so voluntarily in more than 700 years.
Pope Benedict XVI stepped down on 28 February 2013, citing his advanced age and declining health as reasons he could no longer adequately fulfil the papacy’s demands. His resignation shocked the world, as popes traditionally serve for life. Mr Bergoglio was elected shortly afterwards as his immediate successor.
Adopted Francis as his Papal name
The pope, whose real name is Jorge Bergoglio, is the first pontiff to adopt a totally different name since Albino Luciani, a former head of the church, became John Paul I in 1978.
His choice was a tribute to Saint Francis of Assisi, who, like him, is also known for his simplicity, his concern for marginalised groups and his commitment to peace.
A Simpler Papacy
From the very start of his leadership, he signalled a break from tradition. He declined to move into the luxurious Apostolic Palace, choosing instead to reside in the more modest Vatican guesthouse.
On his first full day as pope, rather than accepting special treatment, he rode a minibus with fellow cardinals and personally returned to his hotel to settle his bill.
He also favoured a simple wardrobe. Instead of the ornate red shoes or the heavily embroidered capes, he opted for plain black shoes and a simple white cassock.
In his first Holy Week as pope, he broke tradition by washing and kissing the feet of young inmates, including women and Muslims. He avoided formal titles such as “your holiness” or “Supreme Pontiff” and was known for making personal phone calls to people who had written him letters, offering comfort or encouragement.
His stance on war
Throughout his time, he consistently condemned war, describing it as a “failure of politics and humanity.” The Catholic leader repeatedly emphasised the devastating impact war had on the poor and vulnerable.
He advocated for peacebuilding and dialogue as the primary tools for resolving conflicts. In 2014, about a year after his election, he referred to war as “madness.”
“Hostility, extremism and violence are not born of a religious heart: they are betrayals of religion,” he said during a visit to Ur, Iraq, in March 2021.
During his final public appearance on Sunday, he condemned the Israeli war on Gaza, saying, “I express my closeness to the sufferings of all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people.”
“I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace.”
His stance on Capitalism
The late Catholic leader was also a vocal critic of unregulated capitalism, which he sees as contributing to inequality and exploitation, and once described as “idolatry of money.”
He believed unregulated capitalism prioritised profits over human dignity. In his view, capitalism, when driven purely by market forces without moral oversight, leads to social injustice and environmental degradation.
He advocated for an economy that serves the common good, with a focus on caring for the poor, the environment, and human solidarity.
His stance on LGBTQ+ rights
As part of his broader mission to stand with the marginalised, he spoke for the human rights of the LGBTQ+ community and declared that homosexuality was not a crime.
Although his shift never translated into fundamental changes to the Church’s doctrine on contentious issues, such as gay marriage, he urged that the church is more open to homosexual believers. He also approved blessings for gay marriage.
One of his most famous statements came early in his papacy when he responded to a question about gay priests by saying, “Who am I to judge?”
Controversies
Straddling a line between “progressive” and “conservative”, he faced criticism from both ends of the spectrum.
While some viewed his actions as insufficiently progressive, others felt they were too radical.
From the perspective of progressives within the Church, the pope’s leadership didn’t go far enough in instituting the reforms they hoped for. They expected that he would make stronger changes on issues such as the roles of women, married clergy, and the broader inclusion of LGBTQIA+ Catholics.
READ ALSO: Tinubu mourns Pope Francis
On the other hand, conservatives within the Church felt that he was pushing the boundaries too far.
His stance on LGBTQ+ issues, inclusivity, and his emphasis on mercy over strict doctrinal purity were seen by some as undermining traditional Catholic teachings.
His last words
Shortly after his public appearance and hours before his death was announced, a post was made on Pope Francis’ official X account to celebrate Easter.
It read, “Christ is risen! These words capture the entire meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life. #Easter.”
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