Pope Francis | Photo credit: Reuters
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, said the Vatican in a video statement on Monday, ending a often turbulent reign marked by division and tension while sought to review the hidden institution.
He was 88 years old and had recently survived a serious fight or double pneumonia.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with deep sadness that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francisco,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican television channel.
“At 7:35 this morning, the bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the father’s house.”
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope on March 13, 2013, surprising many church observers who had seen the Argentine cleric, known for their concern for the poor, as a stranger.
He tried to project simplicity in the great role and never possession of papal apartments adorned in the apostolic palace used by their predecessors, saying that he preferred to live in a community environment for his “psychological health.”
He inherited a church that was attacked by a scandal of child sexual abuse and torn inviting the Vatican bureaucracy, and was chosen with a clear mandate to restore order.
But as his papacy advanced, he faced fierce criticism of the conservatives, who accused him of destroying appreciated traditions. He also threw the anger of the progressives, who felt that he should do much more to remodel the 2,000 -year -old church.
While fought with internal dissent, Francis became a global superstar, attracting great crowds in his many
Unique in modern times, there were two men with Blanco in Vatis during much of the Francis government, with his predecessor Benedict, opting to continue living in the Holy See after his surprise renounces in 2013 he had opened the way for a new pontiff.
Benedict, a hero of the conservative cause, died in December 2022, finally leaving Francis alone on the papal stage.
Francis appointed almost 80 percent of cardinal voters who will choose the next right pope as of February 2025, which increases the possibility that the successor continues its progressive policies, despite the strong rejection of the traditionalists.
Posted on April 21, 2025