Online Desk
Pope Francis, first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88.
Known for his humble style and concern for the poor, his progressive views on many relevant issues were significantly different from his predecessors.
Soon, he invited troubles of his own, as conservatives grew increasingly upset with his progressive bent, outreach to refugees, LGBTQ+ Catholics, and crackdown on traditionalists and capitalists.
Francis was admitted to Gemelli hospital on February 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
Francis suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man.
Following his hospitalisation, thousands of believers joined the Cardinals residing in Rome, along with all collaborators of the Roman Curia and the Diocese of Rome, in St. Peter‘s Square to recite the Holy Rosary for the health of Pope Francis.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis chose his name in honour of St. Francis of Assisi, a figure closely connected with poverty, peace, and environmentalism.
Francis was elected following the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on a mandate to reform the Vatican bureaucracy and finances, but went further in shaking up the church without changing its core doctrine.
Francis brought a breath of fresh air into a 2,000-year-old institution that had seen its influence wane during the troubled tenure of his predecessor.