Pope Francis passes away
(MENAFN) Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has passed away at the age of 88, according to a statement released by the Vatican. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo, confirmed that Francis died peacefully on Monday morning at 7:35 a.m., describing his life as one of devoted service to God and the Church.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1936, Francis became a priest in the late 1960s and later served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires. In 2001, he was elevated to cardinal by Pope John Paul II. He made history in 2013 when he became the first pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit to hold the papacy.
Throughout his leadership, Pope Francis was known for his progressive stance on many social issues and his advocacy for the poor. He openly criticized the excesses of capitalism, emphasized humility among clergy, and called for urgent action on climate change. He also condemned the possession of nuclear weapons, calling it morally wrong.
Francis’s push for a more inclusive Church drew both support and controversy. He made headlines for stating that “being homosexual is not a crime” and later permitted gay men to become priests in Italy. He also expanded the roles of women within the Church’s leadership structure.
Health issues had increasingly limited his public appearances. On Easter Sunday, in what would be his final public moment, Pope Francis appeared in a wheelchair and briefly greeted the faithful from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. His Easter message was read on his behalf by another clergy member due to his frail condition.
Just the day before, he met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and reportedly emphasized the importance of compassion during their conversation. Francis had been hospitalized earlier this year with a serious infection and double pneumonia but was discharged in March.
He also made efforts to confront the global scandal of clerical child abuse, though opinions remain divided on the effectiveness of those reforms. Additionally, he worked to strengthen interfaith dialogue, becoming the first pope to visit Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula, and meeting with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in a historic 2016 summit.
Cardinal Farrell praised Francis for embodying the values of the Gospel with courage and love, especially toward society’s most vulnerable, and commended his soul to God’s eternal mercy.
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