Pope Francis Dies at 88
At 9:47 this morning, His Eminence Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, announced with sorrow the death of Pope Francis, with these words: “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. (Ashwin Vaswani/Unsplash).
On Easter Monday, Pope Francis peacefully passed away at the Vatican. The Catholic world mourns the loss of a great leader.
Article by Avery Junker, Junior White House Correspondent
VATICAN CITY - On Easter Monday, Pope Francis peacefully passed away in Rome at the age of 88. He was a strong leader respected in and outside the Catholic world.
Pope Francis, or Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was born in Argentina on December 17, 1936, to parents Mario and Regina Sivori. His father was an accountant, and his mother was a devoted wife and mother who raised Francis alongside his four siblings: Maria Elena, Alberto Horacio, Marta Regina, and Oscar Adrian.
Bergoglio was incredibly educated and started his schooling journey early on as he gained a chemical technician degree and entered the priesthood shortly after. His journey began at the Diocesan Seminary of Bill Devot, and on March 11th, 1958, he entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus. He continued to study at the Colegio de San José and returned to Argentina shortly after in 1963, when he received his diploma. Years later, Francis returned to school to study theology at the same college once more.
Between his first and second degrees, he taught at the Immaculate Conception College in Santa Fé and later at the Colegio del Salvator in Buenos Aires. He taught literature and psychology and was well loved by the students he educated.
On December 13th, 1969, Bergoglio was ordained a priest by Archbishop Ramón José Castellano. From there, he continued training at the University of Alcalá de Henares, Spain, before making his perpetual profession with the Jesuits. He resumed teaching and work in Argentina as a novice master at Villa Barilari, San Miguel; a theology professor; a Province of the Society of Jesus consultor; and a Rector at the Colegio Máximo of the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology.
Soon after, he was appointed Episcopal Vicar of the Flores district and was entrusted with the Vicar General of the Archdiocese office. Four years later, he was promoted to Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires. From here, he rose into the role of cardinal when his predecessor, Cardinal Quarracino, passed.
At the Consistory on February 21, 2001, John Paul II named him cardinal, and he was assigned the title of San Roberto Bellarmino. His first official act was to donate the money that would have been spent on the pope's journey to celebrate him, to the poor. In this role, he wrote a slew of books, including Meditaciones para religiosos (1982), Reflexiones sobre la vida apostólica (1992) and Reflexiones de esperanza (1992).
His popularity was contagious, and he spent the next few years of his life dedicated to his ministry or his vocation of poverty. In October of 2001, he was elected General Relator to the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Episcopal Ministry and was later selected as President of the Argentine Bishops’ Conference in both 2005 and 2008.
Alongside these duties, he participated in the 2005 Conclave and saw to the election of Pope Benedict XVI. Just eight years later, he saw his chosen name in writing as he was elected Supreme Pintiff on March 13th, 2013.
The name ‘Francis’ stems from a conversation he had with Cardinal Claudio Hummes, who whispered to him shortly after voting, “Don't forget the poor”. Out of this conversation, one name came to mind: Saint Francis. This saint is remembered for his love of the poor, care for animals, and interest in interfaith conversation. This legacy mimicked the intention Pope Francis hoped to have, and is why, among other considerations, he chose this name.
A decade later, the Catholic world has watched Pope Francis call for unity and acceptance, changing this community week by week. He has encouraged greater care for the environment, as seen in his second encyclical letter, Laudato si, and opened the Church to greater ideas throughout his tenure.
He will be missed by many and is survived by his youngest sister, Maria Elena Bergoglio, who lives in Argentina.