Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, will be remembered as a transformative pontiff, recognised for advocating for marginalised communities while stopping short of fundamentally altering long-standing doctrines.
Often referred to as “the people’s Pope,” this Argentine leader enjoyed engaging with his congregation and garnered significant support among the faithful, despite facing considerable resistance from conservative factions within the Church.
As the first pope from the Americas and the southern hemisphere, he fervently championed the rights of the most vulnerable, including migrants and those impacted by climate change, which he identified as a crisis attributable to human actions.
While he directly addressed the widespread issue of clerical abuse, survivors’ advocates noted that substantial changes were implemented slowly.
He was the first pope to adopt the name Francis, inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century mystic known for renouncing wealth to serve the poor.
“How I would like a poor church for the poor,” he expressed three days after becoming the 266th pope.
A modest figure, he donned simple robes, avoided the lavish papal residences, and personally made phone calls to individuals such as widows, survivors of sexual violence, and inmates.
The football-loving former archbishop of Buenos Aires was more approachable than his predecessors, engaging with youth on topics ranging from social media to pornography, and discussing his health candidly.
Francis consistently kept the option of retirement open, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who in 2013 became the first pope in centuries to resign.
After Benedict’s death in December 2022, Francis became the first current pope in modern times to officiate a papal funeral.
Facing declining health, which included colon surgery in 2021, a hernia in June 2023, bronchitis, and knee issues that required him to use a wheelchair, his extended hospitalization for bronchitis raised speculation about his potential resignation.
However, he dismissed such discussions, stating in February 2023 that resignations should not become commonplace.
In a memoir published in 2024, he mentioned that resignation was a “distant possibility,” only to be considered in cases of “serious physical impediment.”
Symbolic Acts of Compassion
Prior to his first Easter at the Vatican, he symbolically washed and kissed the feet of prisoners in a Rome penitentiary, marking the beginning of a series of impactful gestures that earned him global admiration, unlike his predecessor.
For his inaugural international trip, he selected Lampedusa, an entry point for many migrants aiming for Europe, where he criticised the “globalisation of indifference.”
He also condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to construct a border wall with Mexico, labelling it un-Christian.
Following Trump’s re-election, Francis denounced his plans for mass deportations, describing it as a “major crisis” that was bound to have negative outcomes.
Dedicated to interfaith dialogue, he engaged in a historic meeting with Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in February 2016 and collaborated with prominent Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb in a joint call for freedom of belief in 2019.
Francis revitalised Vatican diplomacy by facilitating a landmark reconciliation between the United States and Cuba and promoting the peace process in Colombia, while also attempting to strengthen relations with China through a criticized 2018 agreement regarding bishop appointments.
Climate Advocacy
Experts credit Francis with significantly influencing the 2015 Paris climate accords through his encyclical “Laudato Si,” which called for urgent action on climate change backed by scientific evidence.
He argued that developed nations were responsible for an impending environmental disaster and, in a 2023 appeal, cautioned that some damage was “already irreversible.”
As a proponent of peace, he frequently condemned arms manufacturers and asserted that a Third World War was already manifesting amid ongoing global conflicts.
However, his comments sometimes generated backlash, particularly from Kyiv, after he praised individuals in war-torn Ukraine for their “courage to raise the white flag and negotiate.”
In his modest quarters at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta guesthouse, he coped with stress by penning letters to Saint Joseph detailing his concerns.
“From the moment I was elected, I experienced a profound sense of peace that has never left me,” he shared in 2017.
He had a passion for classical music and tango, even stopping at a record store in Rome to purchase music.
“Who Am I to Judge?
Supporters of Francis argue that he reshaped perceptions of an institution plagued by scandals upon his accession, successfully re-engaging lapsed believers.
He will be remembered for his famous phrase: “Who am I to judge?”
He permitted divorced and remarried individuals to receive communion and endorsed the baptism of individuals of all genders and couples.
However, he abandoned the idea of allowing priests to marry in response to backlash and, despite appointing several women to prominent roles within the Vatican, he disappointed advocates who sought the ordination of women.
Critics accused him of dangerously altering Catholic teachings, and he faced substantial opposition to many of his initiatives.
Francis also sought reforms within the Vatican, enabling cardinals to be tried in civilian courts and revamping the Holy See’s banking system.
He made efforts to tackle the severe issue of clerical abuse by meeting with victims and committing to hold those accountable.
Additionally, he opened Vatican archives to civil authorities and instituted mandatory reporting of suspected abuse or cover-ups to Church leaders.
Background and Early Life
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born into an Italian immigrant family in the Flores neighbourhood of Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936.
As the eldest of five siblings, he was “born an Argentine but raised on pasta,” as noted by biographer Paul Vallely.
At the age of 13, he worked in a hosiery factory in the afternoons while pursuing studies to become a chemical technician in the mornings, and briefly worked as a nightclub bouncer.
He was said to enjoy dancing and socializing with girls, even coming close to proposing to one before discovering his religious calling at 17.
Francis later recounted a tumultuous time during his Jesuit training when he developed a strong attraction to a woman he met at a family wedding.
Having survived a serious infection that led to part of his lung being removed, his breathing difficulties hindered his ambitions of serving as a missionary in Japan.
He was ordained a priest in 1969 and, just four years later, became the provincial leader of the Jesuits in Argentina.
His tenure, coinciding with the country’s military dictatorship, was challenging, as he faced accusations of betraying two radical priests who were imprisoned and tortured under the regime.
Although no compelling evidence substantiated these claims, his leadership was controversial, leading to his demotion and exile to Cordoba in 1990.
In his 50s, Bergoglio is often described by biographers as having experienced a midlife crisis, after which he reemerged to pursue a more traditional role within the Catholic hierarchy, first as the “Bishop of the Slums” in Buenos Aires, and later as the pope who would redefine the role.
