Pope Francis is died at the age of 88, after being at the head of the Roman Catholic Church for more than a decade.
His last public appearance was on Sunday, April 20, when he wished thousands of gathered believers a happy Easter from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
Before Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the successor to Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, he was considered an outsider.
His appointment was historic.
He was the first pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit to head the Roman Catholic Church.
Below we present some of the most important moments from his life.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who was born on December 17, 1936, in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, became one of the most influential religious leaders in the world.
He was the eldest of five children in a working-class family of Italian descent.
His childhood was marked by simplicity and deep faith.
After being ordained a priest in 1969, Bergoglio quickly advanced in the Jesuit order, and in 1973 he became superior of the Argentine Jesuits.
He was appointed Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998.
He gained a reputation for his care for the people, especially the poor, and his modesty.
He decided to live in a modest apartment, use public transportation, and be directly present among the faithful, rejecting the privileges of a high church position.
Pope John Paul II appointed him a cardinal in 2001, after which he took on various duties in the Roman Curia, the main administrative body of the Holy See.
Pope Francis appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Square in the Vatican on March 13, 2013.
Dressed simply in white, he now had a new name, which he chose in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of nature, animals, and birds, announcing that his pontificate would be marked by mercy, humility, and social justice.
Since the death of Pope Gregory III, a native of Syria, in 741, all heads of the Roman Catholic Church have been Europeans.
Many hoped that his unconventional biography would bring new energy to the Vatican and strengthen its holy mission.
From the very beginning, Pope Francis made it clear that his pontificate would be dedicated to simplicity and service to God.
His words that echoed throughout the world: "Oh, how I would like a poor church, and for the poor."
As head of the Roman Catholic Church, he made great efforts to bring Eastern and Western Christian traditions closer together and to reduce the thousand-year schism with the Orthodox Church.
He collaborated with Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists, and managed to bring the leaders of Israel and Palestine to a joint prayer for peace.
During his pontificate, he also faced challenges.
He was opposed by conservative currents within the Roman Catholic Church, who felt that he was straying too far from traditional teachings.
When he was asked about homosexuals at the beginning of his pontificate, his response: "Who am I to judge?" made headlines around the world.
The biggest challenge he faced, however, were accusations that he had not reacted decisively enough to cases of child sexual abuse.
The Pope has introduced an obligation for priests to report any suspicion of abuse to their superiors, emphasizing that whistleblowers must be protected from any intimidation, although this obligation is not respected equally everywhere in the world.
On December 8, 2015, Pope Francis opened the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.
During this period, dedicated to God's mercy, the doors of the main Roman churches, including St. Peter's Basilica, were open to the faithful.
He was the first pope to participate in the G7 summit, in 2024, which brought together the leaders of the world's most developed economies.
Speaking at a forum in Italy, he warned of serious threats to humanity, especially ongoing wars, such as the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
He appealed for the regulation of the use of artificial intelligence in the world, warning of its threats to ethics and human rights.
In an autobiography Life, my story through history, the pope stressed that he would not step down, despite speculation that arose after his health deteriorated.
After being diagnosed with bronchitis, he was admitted to the hospital on February 14, 2025, where he was kept longer due to additional health complications.
Pope Francis has led 1,2 billion Catholics around the world with a vision of mercy, humility, and social justice, demonstrating that a life dedicated to serving God and simplicity, even at the highest church office, can leave a profound mark.
- From bouncer to pontiff: Five things you might not know about Pope Francis
- Francis: The traditional pope from South America who changed the Catholic Church
- Pope Francis was a vocal critic of the powerful, his influence felt far beyond the faith.
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