Pope Francis is dead. He was 88 years old

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic church, died – the Vatican informed in a statement on Monday. Thus, turbulent governments, marked with divisions and tensions, ended, while its goal was the reform of the ossified institution, says Reuters.

The Vatican announced the following words of Cardinal Farrell: “The most expensive brothers and sisters, with deep pain I have to announce the death of our Holy Father. At 7.35 this morning, the bishop of Rome Francis returned to the Father's house.”

“His whole life was devoted to the service of God and His Church. He taught us to live the values ​​of the Gospel with loyalty, courage and universal love, in a special way for the poorest and marginalized” – added Cardinal Farrell.

He emphasized: “With great gratitude for his model, the true student of Jesus, we entrust the soul of Pope Francis an infinite merciful love of the only God.”

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope on March 13, 2013, which surprised many church observers who had previously seen an Argentine clergyman known for their concern about the poor as an outside person.

He tried to give his great role simply and never took the richly decorated papal apartments at the Apostolic Palace, which his predecessors used, claiming that he prefers to live in the environment of the community because of “mental health”.

Francis was one of the oldest popes in the history of the Church. His pontificate lasted 12 years and four months.

As Reuters notes, Francis appointed almost 80% of elector cardinals who would choose the next pope in February 2025, which increases the likelihood that his successor will continue his progressive policy, despite the strong opposition from traditionalists.

From Argentina to the Vatican

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires in the poor Flores district. He came from the family of Italian emigrants. In his youth he studied at the Salesian school, graduated from the Chemical Technical Secondary School and worked, among others as a cleaner and security guard. At the age of 20, he underwent severe pneumonia, which lost part of the lung.

He joined the seminar at the age of 21, and in 1958 he began the novitiate at the Jesuit. He studied philosophy, taught literature and psychology. He was ordained a priest in 1969. He was the provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina and then a spiritual guide in Cordoba. In 1992 he became an auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires, in 1998 Metropolitan and Primate of Argentina. He was appointed by John Paul II in 2001.

In 2013, after the resignation of Benedict XVI, he was elected 266. Pope and took the name Francis – as the first in history. From the beginning of the pontificate, he was distinguished by its simplicity, concern for the poor and migration. He refused to live in the Apostolic Palace, drove an ordinary car, he paid bills himself.

Francis made 47 foreign trips to over 60 countries – he was the first pope, among others United Arab Emirates, Burma, Iraq, Bahrain and Mongolia. He initiated reforms in the Church, appointed the Cardinals' Council and the Commission for Protection of Minors. The fight with pedophilia and concern about the weakest were one of the pillars of his actions.

The Pope's statements often echoed – such as the words “Who am I to judge?” in the context of homosexuals. He established the World Day of the poor, appealed for help for migrants, and his papal encyclicals focused, among others in faith, ecology and brotherhood.

Ed. Jm

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