Pope Francis, the history-making first Latin American pope has passed away at the age of 88. The pontiff passed away on Easter Monday, just one day after giving his blessing to a crowd of thousands that gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, announced 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. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. 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.”
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis made history as not only the first pope from Latin America, but also as the first Jesuit to lead the Catholic Church. The first pope from the Americas, Francis was in many respects a Vatican outsider who charted a new and more liberal course as the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis broke with tradition, reaching out to gay and marginalized people, demanding justice for the poor and railing against unbridled capitalism and climate change.
In his final Easter address, Pope Francis called for an end to violence worldwide, urging for a ceasefire in Gaza and praying for peace in Ukraine. The Pope also urged compassion for the world’s marginalized people.
“On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas.”
The Pope continued, “There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others.”
