The Life We Mourn

The 88 Years of Pope Francis’s Life

Photo by Catholic Church England and Wales / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

On April 21, 2025, the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, passed away. He died at the age of 88 in his residence, the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta, due to a stroke and heart failure after recovering from pneumonia and other respiratory issues. His death was announced at 9:45 a.m. by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church.

“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrel said. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”

Being the first Pope from South America, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires as the son of Italian immigrants. He was the eldest of five children and initially graduated as a chemical technician before choosing to become a priest. He began by entering the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto, and then entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus on March 11, 1958. He studied humanities in Chile before returning to Argentina to study philosophy in Colegio de San José, and later taught psychology and literature at both the Immaculate Conception College and Colegio del Salvatore. Then, from 1967-1970, Bergoglio studied and earned a degree in theology at the Colegio of San José.

Bergoglio was first appointed as a priest by Archbishop Ramón José Castellano on Dec. 13, 1969. He served various positions in the following years, such as the Provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina and the Rector of the Colegio de San José, before becoming a close collaborator with Cardinal Antonio Quarracino, who was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. As a result, Bergoglio was appointed Titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires by Pope John Paul II on May 20, 1992. Following the death of Cardinal Quarracino, Bergoglio succeeded him as Archbishop and became Cardinal three years later, receiving the title of San Roberto Bellarmino. As Archbishop, he created a missionary project focused on evangelization and communion. Bergoglio additionally authored the books “Meditaciones para religiosos,” “Reflexiones sobre la vida apostólica” and “Reflexiones de esperanza.”

Pope Francis was appointed as head of the Catholic Church in 2013, and held this position until his death in 2025. He maintained a strict and sober lifestyle with the goal of living like the people he served. During his time as Pope, he had many unconventional practices that initially sparked surprise; he lived in the Vatican guesthouse instead of the Apostolic Palace, he confessed his own sins before hearing others’ confessions, he showed unrelenting kindness and acceptance towards people and he recognized that he was wrong for defending a Chilean bishop who was accused of covering up sexual abuse. He also caused upset with “traditionalists” due to his acceptance and tolerance of LGBTQ members, and for appointing a woman to an important role in the Dicastery for Bishops.

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church,” Cardinal Farrell said. “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.”

The death of the Pope initiates nine days of mourning, known as the Novendiales, for the Catholic Church.