This past Monday, the day after Easter, the Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis at age 88. The cause itself was a stroke, followed by heart failure, and came after his initial recovery from a prior one-month stay in the hospital. The worldwide response has seen far-reaching public celebration, noting some of Francis’s humanitarian efforts and pacifist philosophies.

Pope Francis was the first Latin American pope to ascend the highest archbishop role in the Roman Catholic church, he originated from Buenos Aires Argentina, and his name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he was a son of Italian immigrants and he lived a simple and humble life for an archbishop.

The late archbishop was known for not believing he is above anyone and that everyone should be treated with respect, a phrase he was known for was “My people are poor and I am one of them”. He has repeated himself on multiple occasions that he prefers to live a simple life, live in his own apartment, cook his own meals, and to take the bus just like his people.

He always advised his priests to show mercy and apostolic courage and to keep their doors open to everyone. Before becoming the well loved and respected Pope, he had graduated with a chemical technician, he also worked as a janitor and a bouncer but felt like his call was in the church.

From entering the church, he started off as a Jesuit novitiate in his early 20s, by 1969 he had been ordained a priest. As archbishop in Buenos Aires created missionary projects in the communities based on the communion and evangelisation.

Pope Francis was the first pope born and rasied outside of Europe since the Syrian-born Pope Gregory III in 731 AD. Throughout his time he had touched thousands of people and brought together large groups of people to be more involved in the Catholic church. 

By 2001 he had been named cardinal under the late pope John Paul the second, he asked the faithful to not travel to Rome but to rather donate to the poor what they would have spent on the journey to see him in Rome. 

In 2005 Bergoglio took part in the conclave where Pope Benedict the fifth was elected.

Bergoglio was very vocal critic of Fernández’s social initiatives, including the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2010. 

Many people disagreed on his opinions on same sex marriages, along with many other things, like kissing the feet of refugees that included Muslims, Hindus, and many more.

Bergoglio also addressed the climate crisis, bringing unity among different faiths, and historical apologies to survivor of sexual abuse. 

Pope Francis never married or brought children into this world but he welcomed children, loved and showed them mercy. 

He guided billions of Catholics worldwide, maintaining the doctrines of the church, and often addressing contemporary issues through the lens of centuries-old tradition, and he had turned the Vatican plaza into a refuge for the homeless. 

There have been 226 popes in the vatican, and every single one has made an impact on the Catholic church, Bergoglio has been one of the most respected, loved, and cherished by the world. A spokesperson for Connecticut’s Sacred Heart University recalled how Francis’s leadership in faith even reached those dissatisfied with their religion. Special care was taken to describe this effect as “a pastoral way for the church to express love and mercy as Jesus had done and to bring people closer to their faith.”

Francis will largely be remembered for the things he did for the his people, for the lives he has touched, and for how he led a simple and humble life; his memory is untouched by a desire for money and power, as he chose to give his life dedicating to bringing people closer to God and each other.