Pope Francis was elected to the papacy on March 13, 2013, at the age of 76, and passed away at the age of 88 on April 21. Born in Argentina as Jorge Bergoglio, he joined the Society of Jesus at 21 and was ordained a priest days before his 33rd birthday. He served as an auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992, before becoming Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. Pope John Paul II elevated him to the College of Cardinals in 2001, whom he later canonized.
The election of Pope Francis marked historical firsts, as he was the first Jesuit to become pope. He was also the first pope to be elected from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere and to adopt the regnal name “Francis.” Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis canonized nearly 1,000 people, including St. Junipero Serra, the first-ever canonized on U.S. soil, and Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Pope Paul VI, and Pope John XXIII.
On August 2, 2018, Pope Francis revised the Catholic Church’s teaching on the death penalty, escalating opposition to its modern-day use without calling it intrinsically evil. He used the term “inadmissible” and deemed it an attack on human dignity, aligning with previous popes’ teachings. During the COVID pandemic, Italy was hit hard, and Pope Francis delivered a special blessing from St. Peter’s Square on March 27, 2020. This moment held special meaning for many, as he encouraged personal conversion and fraternity during challenging times.
Pope Francis’ papacy exemplified the universality of the Catholic Church by visiting places no previous pontiff had been before and appointing cardinals from non-traditional locations. He visited Iraq, Mongolia, Myanmar, and the United Arab Emirates, becoming the first pope to enter an active war zone in the Central African Republic in 2015. Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis appointed 163 cardinals from 75 countries, with a third of these countries seeing representation in the College of Cardinals for the first time.
The impact of Pope Francis on the Catholic Church can also be seen in his emphasis on evangelization, a sense of being a sinner loved by the Lord, and a call to friendship with Jesus. He showed the world what Jesuits can be at their best, true evangelists, a son of Ignatius, and a son of the Church. His guidance during the COVID pandemic and efforts to expand the Church’s reach globally demonstrated his commitment to upholding Catholic values and reaching out to those in need. Pope Francis leaves behind a legacy of inclusivity, compassion, and transformation within the Catholic Church.
