Pope Francis sips water with a straw during his appearance on the balcony of St Peter’s basilica during the Urbi et Orbi message Credit: TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, who died Monday aged 88, will go down in history as a radical pontiff, a champion of underdogs who forged a more compassionate Catholic Church while stopping short of overhauling centuries-old dogma.
Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic church whose energetic reform earned him both widespread devotion and condemnation, died aged 88 on Monday.
The Argentine pontiff, leader of the Catholic Church since March 2013, spent 38 days being treated for double pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli hospital before seeming to recover and leaving the facility on March 23.
His death came just a day after he delighted the crowds of worshipers at the Vatican on Easter Sunday with an appearance on the balcony at St. Peter’s Basilica.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, it is with deep sorrow that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in the statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel.
“This morning at 7:35 am (5:35 a.m. GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.
“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church.”
His death sets in motion centuries-old traditions that will culminate in the gathering of a conclave of cardinals to choose a successor.
In the meantime, the day-to-day running of the tiny Vatican City state will be handled by the camerlengo, a senior cardinal, currently Dublin-born Kevin Farrell.
‘Humble pastor’
Francis, whose real name was Jorge Bergoglio, was the first Jesuit to lead the world’s almost 1.4 billion Catholics and the first from the Americas.
He took over after Benedict XVI became the first pontiff since the Middle Ages to step down – and cut a sharply different figure from the German theologian.
A football-loving former archbishop of Buenos Aires who was often happiest among his flock, Francis sought to forge a more open and compassionate church.
He strongly defended social justice, the rights of migrants and the environment, while also pushing through governance reforms and tackling the scourge of clerical sex abuse of children.
But critics accused him of creating doctrinal confusion and failing to defend traditional Catholic beliefs on key issues such as abortion and divorce.
Francis’s desire to chart a different path was evident right to the end, with his decision to be buried not in St. Peter’s Basilica but in Rome’s Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.
He will become the first pope in more than 100 years to be laid to rest outside the Vatican.Francis also rejected the tradition of popes having three coffins, instead choosing to be buried in just one, made of wood and zinc, to reflect his role as a humble pastor.In an appearance on Fox News, Karoline Leavitt pointed to President Donald Trump’s statement about the pope’s passing and added that the pope “touched millions of lives throughout his tenure as the head of the Catholic Church and so it’s a solemn day for Catholics around the world and we are praying for all those who loved the pope and believed in him.
”The death of Pope Francis brings great sadness to so many around the world, both in the Catholic Church and in societies in general. A voice proclaiming the innate dignity of every human being, especially those who are poor or marginalized, is now silent. Our heartiest condolence to the deceased brings great sadness to so many around the world, both in the Catholic Church and in societies in general. As he led the Catholic church with humility, resilience and love”.Editor nsnews
By Agencies
