Pope Francis dies after twelve years of reformist papacy
The first Latin American pontiff, who reshaped Vatican finance, promoted synodality and reached out to marginalised groups, has died at the age of 86.
Pope Francis, the first pontiff from Latin America and the first to adopt the name of Saint Francis of Assisi, died after twelve years in the role. His papacy began on 13 March 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
Early life and priesthood
Born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrants, he was the son of a railway accountant. After gaining a technical qualification in chemistry he entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1958. He later taught literature and psychology and pursued theological studies in Chile and Germany, being ordained a priest in 1969.
He became provincial of the Argentine Jesuits in 1973. During the country’s military dictatorship he criticised the regime; two Jesuit priests who were kidnapped and tortured later accused him of not protecting them, although he later helped secure their release.
Papal style and personal habits
From the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica he appeared in plain white robes, without a papal tiara or gold cross, asking the crowd to pray for him before giving his blessing. He chose to live in a modest two‑bedroom guesthouse rather than the Apostolic Palace and was known to use public buses in Buenos Aires. He described himself primarily as a sinner and secondarily as a pope.
He suffered health problems including a lung removed in his youth, colon surgery and later reliance on a wheelchair. He once joked to Mexican seminarians that his problematic knee required only a small amount of tequila.
Reforms and governance
Within a year of his election he set up a Council for the Economy and a Secretariat for the Economy to overhaul Vatican finances. He warned members of the Roman Curia that they suffered from many spiritual problems such as rivalry and gossip. The 2022 implementation of the Vatican constitution Praedicate Evangelium allowed most departments to be staffed by laypeople and introduced five‑year terms for senior officials.
Social teaching and outreach
In 2013 he made a comment on a papal plane that a person who is gay, seeks God and has good intentions should not be judged. As a cardinal in 2010 he opposed Argentina’s same‑sex marriage legislation, describing it as a movement of the father of lies, but by 2013 he supported civil unions as a practical compromise. The 2015 family synod recommended a case‑by‑case pastoral approach for divorced and remarried Catholics without altering communion rules, and bishops were instructed to welcome LGBT Catholics and recognise their contributions.
He issued apologies in Canada for the residential school system and in Rwanda for the Church’s role in the 1994 genocide. He expressed shame and sadness over a French commission’s 2021 estimate that 216 000 children had been abused by clergy since 1950, acknowledging systemic failure and meeting victims.
Legacy and succession
At the time of his death the Catholic Church counted about 1.3 billion members worldwide. Cardinals appointed by Pope Francis now form the majority of the electors for the next conclave, which will be held in the Sistine Chapel to choose the 267th pope. His emphasis on synodality, environmental care and outreach to marginalised groups will shape the expectations for his successor.
