By Ethan Cohen
Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, whose progressive reforms to the Church included a more inclusive institution, environmental advocacy and opposition to global conflicts, died Monday at the Vatican. He was 88.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, read the official announcement of Pope Francis’ death on Monday from the chapel of the pope’s residence, Domus Sanctae Marthae.
The Vatican said Francis died of a cerebral stroke that led to heart failure, according to the head of the health department.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” Farrell said.
Francis’ death came the day after Easter, where he appeared in front of the masses to bless the faithful in St. Peter’s Square. The Easter Sunday sermon was Francis’ first appearance since he was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in February for respiratory complications.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 17, 1936, Francis was elected in March 2013 following Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation. He became the 266th pope and the first Jesuit to hold the role.
His election marked a turning point in the papacy as he was the first non-European pope in more than 1,200 years.
Francis was celebrated and challenged as a pope of firsts throughout his more than decade-long papacy. He was a reformer who sought to make the Church more inclusive, accountable and more attuned to the struggles of everyday people.
He also openly welcomed debate and dissent within the Church, expanded the role of nonordained members and opened the door for broader discussion on the role of women, LGBTQ+ Catholics, divorced and remarried couples. This sparked both praise and fierce resistance within the Church’s ranks.
Upon the death of a pope, a series of solemn rites and traditions culminates in what is known as “the Conclave.” All eligible cardinals gather together in the Sistine Chapel in successive rounds of voting until a two-thirds majority is reached.
Church leaders worldwide are paying tribute to Pope Francis, including the U.S.’s largest archdiocese, Los Angeles, which serves more than four million Catholics.
Archbishop José H. Gomez, who led the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops during part of Francis’ papacy, called on the faithful to carry forward the pope’s mission.
“In this time of mourning, my prayer is that all of us in the Church will honor Pope Francis’ legacy by remembering that he called us to urgent tasks that are still not finished,” Gomez said.
