Pope Francis, first Latin American to lead Catholic Church, dies at 88
Cain Burdeau
PALERMO, Sicily (CN) — Pope Francis, the groundbreaking Roman Catholic Church leader praised around the world as a humble and charismatic liberal leader, died on Easter Monday at age 88.
Francis died at 7:35 a.m. at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta following a bout of illness and extended hospital stay caused by double pneumonia. He suffered respiratory problems for most of his life after a serious lung infection as a teenager caused part of his lung to be removed.
Although frail, he returned to public life over the past week and on Easter Sunday appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. He then boarded the popemobile and greeted the crowds in St. Peter’s Square for the first time since his hospitalization in February. During the day, he also met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
His death left millions of Catholics around the world in mourning and tributes to the 266th pontiff poured in. Now begins the secretive Vatican process of selecting his successor, the conclave, which will once again bring to the surface fierce debates over the direction of the Catholic church as traditionalists and progressives clash.
He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in 2013 he became the first pontiff from Latin America and also the first Jesuit pope. He chose the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of nature and the poor.
Due to his commitment to social justice and grounding in Jesuit teachings, he became known as the “people's pope” and talked about the need to care for the less fortunate.
His papacy was marked by his desire to reform the church from within to make it more inclusive and progressive. He spoke about the need to provide legal protections for gay couples and opened debate about letting women take on ordained roles.
Bergoglio entered the Society of Jesus in 1958 and was ordained as a priest in 1969. He dedicated himself to the poorest parishes in Buenos Aires before becoming the city’s archbishop in 1998. He was made a cardinal in 2001.