Pope Francis has died

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Pope Francis has died at age 88.

The Pope was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The late pontiff was known as the first Pope from the Americas.

EN ESPAÑOL: Muere el papa Francisco, el primer pontífice latinoamericano

He served from March 2013 until his death, just after Easter 2025.

Pope Francis represented a new kind of Pope when he was elected.

It was February 2013, when then-Pope Benedict the 16th retired.

A papal conclave selected the man born Jorge Mario Bergoglio to replace him, becoming the first Jesuit, the first pope from the Americas, and the first non-European pope in more than 1,000 years.

Bergoglio chose his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi who lived a life of humble service to the poor.

Pope Francis was born in 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to an Italian immigrant dad and mom also of Italian descent, born in Buenos Aires.

At age 21, he fell severely sick with pneumonia, and had to have his right lung partially removed.

He later became inspired to the Jesuits in 1958, was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969, and was eventually created a cardinal by Pope John Paul II.

Pope Francis became known as the People’s Pope. He consistently urged people to recognize the humanity of immigrants, and often talked about climate change. Early on, he signaled a more welcoming approach to LGBTQ+ Catholics. When asked about homosexuality in his first news conference as Pope, he famously asked, “Who am I to judge?”

In 2015, Pope Francis visited Washington, D.C. on a 6-day tour of the U.S. President Obama welcomed him at the White House. And he addressed a t session of Congress before leaving to go to New York. Then Speaker of the House John Boehner, a Catholic from Ohio, said that was the highlight of his speakership.

There have been many notable moments in Francis’ papacy. His tenure coincided with increased revelations about the scale of clerical abuse. Pope Francis held a major abuse-related summit at the Vatican but has also been criticized for the church not being more transparent. He is credited with promoting women to senior roles within the church, but critics called the pace of change slow.

During his papacy, Pope Francis returned repeatedly to the Americas, visiting Cuba, Canada, Panama, Chile and Peru. He became the first pontiff to visit the United Arab Emirates. He also became the first Pope to livestream morning mass, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pope Francis welcomed American presidents to the Vatican, meeting with Donald Trump in May 2017…and Joe Biden during the G7 summit in Italy in June 2024.

Months before his death, then-President Joe Biden awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian honor. Francis served as the 266th pope in the history of the Catholic Church. In Washington, D.C., I’m Debra Alfarone.

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