Pope Francis died at 88. This will now kick off a couple of weeks of official mourning, which will culminate in a conclave that will choose a new Pope. Pope Francis was the first Latin Pontiff. He was from Argentina, which he was not able to visit after he became Pope. Pope Francis was also the first Jesuit Pope. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he had been ill for a few weeks, and at 88 years old, his death is hardly surprising. He had been Pope for 12 years. Among many other things, he was Pope during the COVID pandemic. Do you think the new Pope will be older or younger?
Pope Francis Recent Health Struggles
The Pope in Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital, starting Friday, February 14, 2025, after suffering from a bout of bronchitis for several days. Pope Francis’ clinical situation worsened; his doctors diagnosed bilateral pneumonia on Tuesday, February 18. After 38 days in the hospital, the late Pope returned to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta to continue his recovery. So, though Pope Francis seemed to be getting better, his death was not a surprise.
Pope Francis Biography
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio was inspired to join the Jesuits in 1958 after recovering from severe illness. He was the oldest of 5 children. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969. From 1973 to 1979, he was the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina. Pope Francis became the archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001.
Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as the new Pope on 13 March. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Throughout his public life, Francis was noted for his humility, sense of humor, emphasis on God’s mercy, international visibility as pope (though he did not travel as much as Pope Saint John Paul II, who made Bergoglio a cardinal), concern for the poor, and commitment to interreligious dialogue.
Pope Francis, being a Jesuit pope, was significant because of the tense relations between the Society of Jesus and the Holy See. Many media reported him as being the first non-European pope, but he was the 11th; the previous was Gregory III from Syria who died in 741. Although Francis was not born in Europe, he was ethnically European; his father and maternal grandparents were from northern Italy.
Pope Francis’s manner was dramatically less formal than that of his predecessors, a style that news coverage referred to as “no frills”, noting that it is his common touch and accessibility that is proving the greatest inspiration. On the night of his election, Pope Francis took a bus back to his hotel with the cardinals rather than being driven in the papal car, he did not like the so-called pope mobile.
Pope Francis chose not to live in the official papal residence in the Apostolic Palace but instead remained in the Vatican guest house in a suite in which he received visitors and held meetings. He was the first pope since Pope Pius X to live outside the papal apartments.
Pope Francis speaks several languages. In addition to his native Spanish, he spoke fluent Italian, which is the language of the holy see, and German. He was also conversant in Latin, French, Portuguese, and English. Pope Francis also understood Piedmontese and some Genoese Ligurian. It is required to be multilingual to be a modern Pope.
Pope Francis met with United States Vice President JD Vance, who is catholic, and met with Pope Francis yesterday. He gave several gifts to Vance, including three large chocolate Easter eggs for his children. Francis met three U.S. presidents and addressed a joint session of Congress in 2015.
Conclusion
In the coming days and the next few weeks. The head of the Vatican health office will essentially do an autopsy. On Wednesday, Pope Francis’ body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica. After that, the funeral will take place in about a week. But we do not know specifics yet. Following the funeral, there will be a 9-day period of official mourning. The conclave to elect a new Pope will take place in about three weeks, though invitations to the cardinals around the world to attend have been sent out to both attend the funeral and the conclave.
