The Vatican: Pope Francis,88, passes away
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: After months of age-related illness and surviving a serious bout of double pneumonia, Pope Francis, Sovereign of The Vatican City State, passed away on Monday, the media reported.
He was 88.
Pope Francis was the 266th Head of the Roman Catholic Church. He was elected on March 13, 2013 as the first Latin American leader in The Vatican. Earlier, he was known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina.
In a video statement, The Vatican announced his death, ending an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the hidebound institution.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said on The Vatican’s TV channel. “At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the House of the Father.”
When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope in 2013, he surprised many Church watchers who had seen the Argentine cleric, known for his concern for the poor, as an outsider.
He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his “psychological health.”
He inherited a Church that was under attack over multiple scandals, including a child sex abuse scandal, and torn by infighting in The Vatican bureaucracy. He was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.
But as his papacy progressed, he faced fierce criticism both from conservatives, who accused him of trashing cherished traditions, and also from the progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2,000-year-old Church.
While he struggled with internal dissent, Francis became a global superstar, drawing huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he tirelessly promoted interfaith dialogue and peace, taking the side of the marginalised, including migrants.
Unique in modern times, there were two men wearing white in The Vatican for much of Francis’ rule. His predecessor Benedict opted to continue to live in the Holy See after his shock resignation in 2013 opened the way for a new pontiff.
Benedict, a hero of the conservative cause, died in December 2022, finally leaving Francis alone on the papal stage.
Pope Francis appointed nearly 80 percent of the cardinal electors who will choose his successor, increasing the possibility that the newcomer will continue his progressive policies, despite the strong pushback from traditionalists.
