Vatican City — The world is mourning the passing of Pope Francis, the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and the first from the Americas. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis served as leader of the Catholic Church from March 13, 2013, until his death in 2025.
His pontificate, marked by an unwavering commitment to humility, social justice and global outreach, redefined the papacy for the 21st century. Before ascending to the highest office of the Catholic Church, Bergoglio was a Jesuit priest known for his modest lifestyle and deep pastoral care.
The son of Italian immigrants, he was ordained in 1969 and became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. In Argentina, he gained a reputation for riding public transportation, living in a small apartment and spending time in the city's poorest neighborhoods—an approach to ministry that would characterize his papacy.
Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI—the first papal resignation in nearly 600 years. Choosing the name “Francis” after Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron of the poor, he signaled a new era focused on compassion, simplicity and care for the marginalized. As the first Jesuit pope and the first from Latin America, his election was momentous, especially for the Global South, where the majority of the world’s Catholics now reside.
From the outset, Pope Francis pushed for structural reform within the Vatican. He overhauled the Roman Curia and created the Council of Cardinals to advise him on governance.
He aggressively pursued financial transparency, appointing external auditors and pushing for reforms at the Vatican Bank. His efforts to address internal corruption faced resistance but yielded tangible progress.
Francis championed a more inclusive and merciful church. His 2016 apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia opened pastoral pathways for divorced and remarried Catholics. While not changing doctrine, it emphasized discernment and compassion over rigid rules, prompting both praise and criticism.
He also called for the church to welcome LGBTQ+ individuals, famously saying, “Who am I to judge?” when asked about gay priests in 2013. Though his stance remained doctrinally conservative, his tone signaled a more open and pastoral approach. With his 2015 book, Laudato Si, Pope Francis became a global moral voice for climate action.
Framing environmental destruction as a social justice issue, he appealed to both religious and secular audiences to protect “our common home.” The document influenced international climate policy and energized Catholic environmental movements.
Francis played a pivotal role in fostering peace and interfaith understanding. He was instrumental in the thawing of U.S.–Cuba relations and frequently condemned war, nuclear proliferation and the arms trade.
He made historic visits to the Arabian Peninsula and signed the “Document on Human Fraternity” with Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb, promoting coexistence between Christians and Muslims. His visits to Myanmar, Iraq and South Sudan demonstrated solidarity with persecuted and marginalized communities.
True to his namesake, Francis was a relentless advocate for the poor, refugees and the oppressed. He repeatedly called out the “globalization of indifference” and visited refugee camps, urging nations to act with compassion. His economic critiques of unfettered capitalism and inequality drew attention far beyond the church.
Despite his popularity, Francis faced significant challenges. Efforts to reform the church’s handling of sexual abuse met mixed results, with some survivors and critics saying he did not go far enough. His relatively progressive positions alienated some traditionalist factions, who questioned his orthodoxy and accused him of sowing confusion.
Internally, his curial reforms met resistance, and he often walked a tightrope between doctrinal tradition and pastoral innovation. In his final years, Pope Francis continued to travel, preach and appoint a diverse array of cardinals that reshaped the College of Cardinals to reflect the global Church.
His health, long marked by complications from lung surgery in his youth and later knee and colon issues, became a matter of concern. Still, he refused to retire, believing in serving “until the Lord calls me.” Pope Francis died in April 2025 at the age of 88.
The Vatican announced his death following a brief illness. His final words, according to sources close to him, were a prayer for peace. Pope Francis’s legacy will be debated for years, but his impact is undeniable.
He challenged the church to return to the Gospel’s core values—mercy, humility and service to the poor. He embraced a world in flux, reaching across borders and faiths to promote peace, care for creation and human dignity. In an era of polarization and uncertainty, Pope Francis remained a moral compass for millions, a shepherd who led not from above, but from among his flock.
When a pope dies, the Catholic Church enters a period of solemn mourning and carefully structured transition. The process, steeped in centuries of tradition and codified in church law, ensures continuity of spiritual leadership and the eventual election of a new pope. Here's what unfolds in the days, weeks, and months following a pope’s death.
Upon the death of the pope, the Camerlengo, Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church - currently Cardinal Kevin Farrell - takes immediate charge of the situation. His first duty is to confirm the pope's death, traditionally by calling his name three times.
Once confirmed, he authorizes the sealing of the pope’s private apartments and notifies the cardinal vicar of Rome, who announces the death to the city and the world. The Vatican then releases a formal communiqué to the global Catholic community.
The pope is typically mourned for nine days in a traditional observance known as the Novemdiales, Latin for 'nine days'. This process includes public viewing of the pope’s body in St. Peter’s Basilica, a funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square, usually on the sixth or seventh day, and then burial in the Vatican grottoes beneath the Basilica or another chosen location, per the pope’s wishes.
From the moment of the pope’s death until a new pope is elected, the church enters a period known as sedevacante, The Seatis Vacant, and during this time, all leadership roles directly tied to the pope are suspended. The Vatican City State is governed by the Camerlengo, and the College of Cardinals manages day-today affairs and prepares for the papal election, but no new policies or major decisions are made.
The College of Cardinals, made up of cardinals under the age of 80, gathers in Rome. After at least 15 and no more than 20 days of mourning, they enter a conclave, from the Latin cum clave, “with a key”, a closed-door election process held in the Sistine Chapel.
During the conclave, each cardinal elector writes his choice for pope on a ballot and places it on a plate, which is then slid into a chalice, ballots are counted and burned. If no one receives a two-thirds majority, the smoke is black, signaling no decision, but once a new pope is chosen, white smoke billows from the chapel chimney. Shortly thereafter, the Cardinal Protodeacon steps onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and announces, who the next Pope is.