Pope Francis passed away on April 21 at the age of 88, sending waves of sorrow through the global Catholic community and beyond. The Argentine-born leader, known for his humility, simplicity, and outspoken advocacy on global issues, died following a long series of health challenges. Just a day before, he had appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, blessing the crowds during Easter Sunday—a moment now viewed as a poignant farewell.

His death was officially confirmed by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who announced that at 7:35 a.m., the Holy Father had “returned to the house of the Father.” According to Vatican medical authorities, Pope Francis died of a massive stroke that led to a coma and what was described as irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse. It followed a stretch of serious respiratory illnesses that had kept him hospitalized for more than a month earlier in the year.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in 1936, Pope Francis was the son of Italian immigrants. He originally trained as a chemical technician before entering the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto. Later, in 1958, he joined the Society of Jesus, beginning a lifetime of religious dedication. He earned degrees in philosophy and theology, taught literature and psychology, and was ordained as a priest in 1969. His rise through the ranks of the Catholic Church was steady and deeply rooted in pastoral and academic service.

By 1998, he had become Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and in 2001, he was made cardinal by Pope John Paul II. When Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013, Bergoglio became the first Latin American pope, choosing the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. His papacy marked a turning point—one shaped by a strong focus on social justice, inclusivity, environmental protection, and a return to core Gospel values.

Pope Francis championed the rights of the poor, spoke out against economic inequality, and brought renewed attention to global climate change. His encyclical “Laudato Si’,” released in 2015, issued a powerful call to humanity to care for the planet and its most vulnerable inhabitants. “Young people demand change,” he wrote, emphasizing the moral responsibility of addressing the environmental crisis. “The Creator does not abandon us… Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home.”

In contrast to previous pontiffs, Francis also took a surprisingly progressive stance on LGBTQ+ rights, calling laws that criminalize homosexuality “unjust” and saying that “being homosexual isn’t a crime.” These positions earned him admiration from many and resistance from more conservative factions within the Church.

His papacy, however, was not without controversy. He faced criticism for initially dismissing allegations of clerical sexual abuse in Chile—a decision he later admitted was a grave error. The Pope ultimately defrocked Cardinal Theodore McCarrick after the Vatican found him guilty of abusing children and adults, signaling a tougher stance on abuse than the Church had previously taken.