Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88, ending a pontificate marked by humility, reform, and a strong dedication to the marginalised.
His death was announced just eight days after he made an optimistic and cherished appearance at Palm Sunday Mass in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican, on April 13.
“With profound sadness, I announce the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis.
“At 7:35 a.m. (0535 GMT) this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, peacefully departed to the house of the Father. His life was wholly devoted to serving God and the Church,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a statement released via the Vatican’s Telegram channel.
Chronicle NG highlights things to know about the late pope.
1. Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in the Flores neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, as the eldest of five children to a devout Catholic family of Italian origin.
2. His father, Mario José Bergoglio, was an Italian immigrant who escaped fascist Italy in 1929, while his mother, Regina María Sívori, was born in Argentina to Italian parents. Growing up in a modest, working-class family, Bergoglio had a lifelong affinity for the poor, which would define his pontificate.
3. He was taught by the Salesians of Don Bosco as a youth and graduated as a chemical technician before pursuing monastic life.
4. During his early adulthood, he worked in low-wage positions such as nightclub bouncer and caretaker. At the age of 21, he had surgery to remove a portion of his lung due to a serious respiratory illness—an incident that had a profound spiritual significance for him.
5. His call to the priesthood stemmed from a strong experience during confession.
6. He joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1958 and later pursued degrees in philosophy and theology.
7. He was ordained as a priest on December 13, 1969. Bergoglio, then 36 years old, was appointed provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina in 1973.
8. That same year, he took his final Jesuit vows and set out on a journey to the Holy Land, which was cut short by the Yom Kippur War.
9. From 1980 to 1986, he was rector of the Jesuit seminary in San Miguel. His intellectual interests also led him to Ireland and Germany, where he expanded his theological understanding.
10. Despite later disagreements with the Jesuit leadership, Bergoglio maintained his ecclesiastical ascendancy.
11. He was ordained auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and named archbishop of the city in 1998. He was known for shunning luxury, preferring to live in a tiny flat and make his own meals.
12. Pope John Paul II elevated him to cardinal status in 2001, and he rose to prominence as a moral voice during Argentina’s economic crisis, championing the rights of the underprivileged.
13. He was elected pope on March 13, 2013, after Pope Benedict XVI resigned. He became the first Latin American and Jesuit pope, using the name Francis in commemoration of Saint Francis of Assisi.
14. Throughout his papal tenure, Francis was recognised for shunning typical papal opulence in favour of modest clothes and accommodations. He initiated major Vatican reforms aimed at increasing transparency and accountability.
15. In 2015, he issued Laudato Si’, a historic encyclical on climate change, citing the moral imperative to maintain “our common home”.
Pope Francis advocated for a more inclusive Church, emphasising mercy and compassion. He addressed issues such as divorce, LGBTQ inclusion, and family life.
He also apologised for the abuse of Indigenous children in Canadian residential schools, describing it as “cultural genocide”.
He died on April 21, 2025, a day after the Easter celebration.
