Pope Francis, First Jesuit Leader Of The Catholic Church, Dead At 88

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, has died. He was 88 years old. Due to his longstanding duties as the head of the Catholic Church, the religious official leaves behind no children or romantic partner. On April 21, 2025, it was confirmed that he passed away in his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta. "Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father," Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican's TV channel. "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." On February 14, Pope Francis was hospitalized for bronchitis and remained under close watch, as he was subsequently treated for double pneumonia, according to NBC News. 

During his tenure, the religious figure led a prolific, albeit sometimes controversial, career as the supreme pontiff. However, Francis was dedicated to strengthening the Catholic Church's ties with other religions, noting in June 2022 that inter-religious dialogue "is a privileged path to the growth of fraternity and peace in our world," according to Vatican News. Pope Francis was also lauded for tackling some of the internal problems facing the church, including its financial corruption and various sexual abuse scandals.

During his lifetime of service, Pope Francis made significant changes to the Catholic Church. In December 2023, the pontiff gave his formal approval, allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples. "For, those seeking a blessing should not be required to have prior moral perfection," the document from the Vatican's doctrine office explained, per AP News. While Pope Francis' ruling barred blessings from taking place during a civil union or religious service, the document firmly stated that LGBTQ+ couples shouldn't be denied access to holy prayers. "There is no intention to legitimize anything, but rather to open one's life to God, to ask for his help to live better, and also to invoke the Holy Spirit so that the values of the Gospel may be lived with greater faithfulness," it declared.

In addition to making the Church somewhat LGBTQ+ inclusive, Pope Francis embraced more scientific knowledge, revealing his support for the Big Bang theory in 2014, per NBC News. "When we read in Genesis the account of creation [we are] in danger of imagining that God was a magician, complete with a magic wand that can do all things. But he is not," he told the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

In September 2023, Pope Francis also created 21 new cardinals from around the world to help implement reforms in the Catholic Church, per PBS. "Diversity is necessary; it is indispensable. However, each sound must contribute to the common design," he said in a virtual ceremony.