Introduction to Pope Francis
Pope Francis’ life took him from a modest upbringing in Buenos Aires to lead the Roman Catholic Church as the first Jesuit pontiff and the first from Latin America. Across his 12 years as pope, Francis consistently elevated the causes of migrants and the disenfranchised, and pushed the church to more forcefully confront its own history of scandal.
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Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires. His parents were immigrants from Italy, and he was the eldest of five siblings. As a boy, he was intelligent, deeply religious and loved to dance the tango.
A Calling to the Priesthood
When he was 16, Jorge was rushing to meet friends but paused at the Basilica of St. Joseph in Buenos Aires, feeling an urge to go inside. In the sanctuary, it felt as though “someone grabbed me from inside,” he said, adding, “Right there I knew I had to be a priest.” He later joined a seminary.
Road to the Papacy
Ordination
After 13 years of study, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was ordained as a priest in 1969.
A Jesuit Leader
Father Bergoglio became the head of the Jesuits, an order of priests, in Argentina in 1973. At the time, the country was in the throes of a “dirty war,” when the ruling military junta tortured, killed or “disappeared” as many as 30,000 people.
Exile and Redemption
Father Bergoglio’s tenure as head of the Jesuits ended in controversy, with critics accusing him of having an autocratic management style. Church authorities sent him into de facto exile in Frankfurt, Germany, and then to Córdoba, Argentina, in 1979. However, his exile was interrupted when he was unexpectedly named an auxiliary bishop of the Buenos Aires diocese in 1992.
The Papacy
Election as Pope
Francis was elected pontiff after Pope Benedict XVI resigned, citing health concerns, in 2013. Francis tried to move the church away from divisive issues such as abortion and homosexuality, instead focusing on climate change, poverty and migration.
Addressing Sex Abuse
Francis established a commission to address the church’s clerical sexual-abuse scandals in 2014. It included victims of abuse and sought to hold bishops accountable, but the effort eventually fell apart.
Environmental Advocacy
Francis released “Laudato Si,” the first papal encyclical focused solely on the environment, in 2015. It called for protecting the environment and denounced the excesses of global capitalism in exploiting the poor.
Later Years and Legacy
A Push to Protect Minors
Francis issued the church’s most comprehensive response in decades to the sexual abuse crisis in 2019. It obligated church officials worldwide to report cases of sexual abuse, and efforts to cover them up, to their superiors.
An Effort to Include Women
Francis for the first time held a meeting of world bishops that included women and lay people as voting members in 2023. The synod broached some of the most sensitive topics in the church, including the role of women, celibacy and the marital status of priests.
Conclusion
Pope Francis died on Monday at 7:35 a.m., leaving a legacy of inclusion and activism, having often spoken in support of migrants, the marginalized and the environment. He had wrestled serious health issues in the preceding months, including a severe respiratory infection that had sent him to the hospital for weeks. Despite the challenges he faced, Francis remained committed to his values of compassion, justice, and mercy, inspiring countless people around the world.
