By Dylan Bettencourt
- Francis was the first non-European pope in over 1,000 years and once worked as a bouncer.
- He allowed blessings for same-sex couples and pushed for women to lead in the male-run church.
Pope Francis died on Monday, the day after Easter Sunday, aged 88 after months of illness.
The man born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, made history when he became pope in 2013 after Pope Benedict XVI stepped down — the first resignation in nearly 600 years.
Before that, Francis had worked as a janitor and nightclub bouncer before becoming a Jesuit in 1958. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and a cardinal in 2001.
He was a pope of firsts. He named Sister Simona Brambilla the first woman to run a major Vatican department and pushed for more women in church leadership roles.
He let priests bless same-sex couples, though not their unions, and often spoke out for immigrants. He slammed Europe and the US for harsh deportation policies, saying they “damage the dignity” of migrants and leave them “defenceless”.
He called Donald Trump’s deportation plans a “disgrace” and said Kamala Harris’s abortion views were like “assassination”. But he stayed firm on abortion, calling it “absolute evil”, WUSA news reported.
Francis also tried to fix the church’s sex abuse scandal. He created a commission and told dioceses to report cases. But survivors say he didn’t do enough to bring real change.
His health had been failing for years. He lost part of a lung when young and had surgeries for infections and intestinal problems.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced his death, saying: “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father… We commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God.”
There are 1.375 billion Catholics around the world.
The College of Cardinals will meet soon to pick the next pope. Only cardinals under 80 can vote, and while any baptised male is eligible, history says the job will go to a cardinal.
Pictured above: Pope Francis, the first pope from outside Europe in over 1,000 years, leaves behind a legacy of change in the Catholic Church.
Image source: @BRICSInfo
