Pope Francis, the first Jesuit and the first pontiff from the Americas, has died at age 88, the Vatican announced Monday.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, made the announcement from Casa Santa Marta, the pope’s residence inside Vatican City, according to Vatican News, the Holy See’s official media outlet.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Farrell said. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”
Francis had been admitted to Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital on Feb. 14 after experiencing complications from bronchitis. His condition deteriorated over the following days, and doctors diagnosed him with bilateral pneumonia on Feb. 18, Vatican News reported.
After 38 days in the hospital, he was discharged and returned to Casa Santa Marta to continue treatment. His health remained precarious in the weeks leading up to his death.
A pontiff of the people
From the moment he stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in 2013 and asked the world to pray for him, Pope Francis signaled that his papacy would break from tradition.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he became the first pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit to lead the Roman Catholic Church and the first to take the name Francis — in homage to St. Francis of Assisi, known for his devotion to poverty and peace.
Over more than a decade of leadership, Pope Francis became widely regarded as a pontiff of the people. His papacy was defined not by pomp or ceremony, but by humility, compassion and a consistent focus on the poor and marginalized.
Francis declined the luxurious papal apartments in favor of a modest suite at the Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican guesthouse. He wore simple attire, carried his own briefcase and often rode in a compact Fiat instead of the traditional limousine.
These gestures reflected more than personal preference. They symbolized a return to the pastoral values he championed — a Church not above the people, but among them.
Francis frequently emphasized the Church’s mission to serve society’s forgotten. He visited slums, refugee camps and prisons, urging clergy to be present in “the peripheries.”
He called the Church a “field hospital,” a place for healing and inclusion rather than judgment or bureaucracy. In Laudato Si’, his 2015 encyclical on the environment, he linked climate change to global inequality, warning that the world’s poor suffer the most from ecological degradation.
Pope Francis did not seek to overhaul Church doctrine but emphasized mercy, empathy and dialogue. His now-famous response to a question about gay clergy — “Who am I to judge?” — marked a more pastoral tone in Vatican discourse. While his position drew criticism from some conservative factions, it resonated with many who saw in Francis a more human and relatable papal figure.
He also advocated for greater inclusion of women in Church life, addressed clerical abuse with increasing urgency and called for reforms that empowered local bishops and communities.
Francis remained deeply connected to his identity as a parish priest. He made personal phone calls to those in distress, washed the feet of prisoners on Holy Thursday and continued to speak in plain, accessible language during homilies and speeches.
He used his moral authority to urge action on issues such as migration, poverty, war and global inequality. But it was often the personal, unscripted moments — smiling with children, comforting the sick, or standing alone in a rain-soaked St. Peter’s Square during the COVID-19 pandemic — that defined his papacy for many.
In a world marked by division and uncertainty, Pope Francis stood as a reminder that compassion could be a form of leadership. His focus on mercy, humility and human dignity offered a modern model of papal service — one rooted in closeness rather than command.
While his reforms were sometimes met with resistance, Francis’s efforts to reshape the tone and posture of the Catholic Church left a profound impact on both believers and nonbelievers alike.
As he often said, quoting the Gospel: “The greatest among you must be your servant.”
