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Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church and a spiritual leader to 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, has died at the age of 88 after a prolonged illness, the Vatican announced on Easter Monday.
Elected in March 2013 as the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to ascend to the papacy, Pope Francis brought a new tone of humility, inclusivity, and reform to the Vatican. From his earliest days, he signaled a shift in the Church’s focus, famously declaring just three days after his election: “How I would like a poor church for the poor.”
A Papacy Marked by Compassion and Reform
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, became known for his direct language and common touch. Ending every speech with the plea “Pray for me,” he reminded the faithful of his humanity, once saying, “I am a sinner too.”
His papacy was defined by a call to embrace mercy and social justice. In a landmark statement in 2013, he asked, “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?” a comment seen as groundbreaking in its message of inclusion.
Fierce Critic of Inequality, Environmental Degradation
Francis was a vocal critic of global economic disparity. In his 2013 Apostolic Exhortation, he warned of “the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy.” He also made environmental protection a pillar of his papacy, calling the Earth “an immense pile of filth” in his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si, a landmark document on climate change.
Confronting Crisis and Acknowledging Mistakes
The pontiff also faced the global crisis of clerical sex abuse. In 2019, he denounced abuse of minors, likening it to ancient “pagan rites” of human sacrifice. In a rare moment of public self-criticism in 2018, he admitted to grave errors in handling abuse allegations in Chile: “I have incurred grave mistakes of judgement and perception.”
Speaking Truth to Power
Pope Francis did not shy away from political commentary. When asked about Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies during his 2016 presidential campaign, Francis said: “Anyone… who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian.” When Trump returned to office in 2025, Francis condemned his mass deportation plans as a “calamity” and a “major crisis.”
A Global Voice for the Marginalized
On issues of migration and global inequality, Francis often sounded the alarm. During a visit to Lampedusa in 2013, he criticized global indifference to migrant suffering: “We have fallen into a globalisation of indifference.” He championed the rights of the Global South, stating: “The land of the southern poor is rich and mostly unpolluted… but access to resources is inhibited by a structurally perverse system.”
A Pope With a Common Touch
Francis’s humanity shone through in everyday remarks. In 2017, he confessed, “When I pray, sometimes I fall asleep.” After Sunday prayers at the Vatican, he routinely offered a simple but heartfelt message: “Buon pranzo”- “Have a good lunch.”
Advocate of Science and Public Health
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he called on people to get vaccinated, denouncing vaccine denial as “suicidal denial.” His firm stance helped bridge science and faith at a time of global crisis.
Pope Francis leaves behind a legacy of humility, reform, and moral courage. His words and actions challenged centuries-old traditions, calling the Church to be more merciful, inclusive, and responsive to the world’s most urgent problems.
As tributes pour in from around the world, one message remains etched in memory a reminder of his spiritual openness and humility: “There is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach.”
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