Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88

April 21, 2025

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff in the history of the Roman Catholic Church has passed away at age 88.

The Christian Post reports that a statement was issued on Monday by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, announcing the pontiff’s death following a lengthy hospital stay in Rome where he was battling double pneumonia.

The statement read, in part: “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.”

Pope Francis was celebrated for bringing a renewed sense of welcome to the global church while also stirring controversy over some of his actions and comments.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1936, he was ordained a priest in 1969 and became archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was then made a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.

Bergoglio succeeded Pope Benedict XVI on March 13, 2013 when Benedict become the first pontiff in nearly 600 years to step down rather than die in power.

According to the Christian Post, Pope Francis was known for being more inclusive than his predecessor starting with a statement made in July 2013, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge him?”

Some interpreted the pontiff’s remarks as a shift in how the Catholic Church treats the LGBT community, though he later reaffirmed that homosexuality is a sin.

Francis later became the first pope to speak to a joint session of Congress where he warned of the dangers of fundamentalism, saying, “A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms.”

Pope Francis began to experience serious health concerns in 2022 which necessitated the use of a wheelchair and was hospitalized briefly in 2023 with a respiratory infection.

Photo: top, Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images