Pope Francis: First Jesuit and First Latin American Pope Dies at 88

Pope Francis was the head of the Catholic Church from 2013 until his death, the first Jesuit pope and the first pope from Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he was known for his humility, his focus on the poor and his simple style.

Elected on March 13, 2013, he took the name Francis in honor of Francis of Assisi. In 2015 he published his first encyclical, Laudato si', on caring for the planet. In 2018 he revised the Catechism to call the death penalty inadmissible, and in 2023 he convened the beginning of the Synod on Synodality. He traveled widely, reached out to other faiths and spoke often about migrants, the environment and peace.

Francis lived in the Vatican guesthouse, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, rather than the papal apartments, and wore the same iron pectoral cross he had worn as archbishop of Buenos Aires. He died there on April 21, 2025, at age 88. Remembered as the "pope of the people," he left a Church shaped by mercy and outreach.

Achievements: Elected as the first Jesuit pope and first pope from Latin America (2013), published the encyclical Laudato si' on the environment (2015), revised the Catechism on the death penalty (2018), opened the Synod on Synodality (2023).

Birth: December 17, 1936 - Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Profession: Head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City.

Interesting Facts: Francis was the first pope to take the name Francis, and he was the first pope since Pius X to choose to live outside the official papal apartments.