VATICAN - A document containing a brief summary of Pope Francis' pontificate was placed in a tube and sealed in a coffin during the closing ceremony held on Friday, April 25th, in the evening at St. Peter's Basilica. Along with us, he was a pilgrim, a guide, and a companion on the journey to the ultimate goal, to heaven, on April 21, 2025, at 7:35 AM, as the Easter light illuminated the second day of the octave, the Monday after Easter. Our beloved shepherd of the Church, Francis, departed from this world to be with the Father. The entire Christian community, especially the poor, praised God for the gift of his service, which he carried out with courage and fidelity to the Gospel and to the mystical Bride of Christ.
Francis was the 266th Pope. His memory remains in the heart of the Church and of all humanity.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, elected Pope on March 13, 2013, was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, as the son of Piedmontese immigrants. His father, Mario, was an accountant who worked on the railways, while his mother, Regina Sivori, took care of the household and raised their five children. After obtaining a degree in chemical engineering, he decided to pursue a priestly vocation, first entering the diocesan seminary, and on March 11, 1958, he joined the novitiate of the Society of Jesus. He studied humanities in Chile and, upon returning to Argentina in 1963, obtained a master's degree in philosophy from the Colegio San José in San Miguel. He was a professor of literature and psychology at the Colegio Immacolata in Santa Fe and at the Colegio Salvatore in Buenos Aires. He was ordained a priest on December 13, 1969, by Archbishop Ramón José Castellano, and on April 22, 1973, he made his perpetual vows in the Jesuit order. After serving as a novice master at Villa Barilari in San Miguel, as a professor at the theological faculty, as a consultant for the Province of the Society of Jesus, and as rector of the college, he was appointed Provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina on July 31, 1973. After 1986, he spent several years in Germany, where he completed his doctoral studies, and upon returning to Argentina, he was taken on as a close collaborator by Cardinal Antonio Quarracino. On May 20, 1992, Pope John Paul II appointed him titular bishop of Auxa and auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires. He chose "Miserando atque eligendo" as his episcopal motto and incorporated the monogram of Christ, IHS, into his coat of arms, a symbol of the Society of Jesus. On June 3, 1997, he was promoted to the position of coadjutor archbishop of Buenos Aires, and after the death of Cardinal Quarracino on February 28, 1998, he succeeded him as archbishop, primate of Argentina, ordinary for the faithful of the Eastern rite living in the country, and chancellor of the Catholic University. On February 21, 2001, Pope John Paul II appointed him a cardinal at the consistory, granting him the titular church of Sant'Roberto Bellarmino. In October of the same year, he was appointed general rapporteur for the tenth ordinary session of the Synod of Bishops.
He was a simple and deeply beloved pastor in his archdiocese, whom he served tirelessly, even by bus and subway. He lived in an apartment and prepared his own meals, feeling himself to be one of the people.
He was elected Pope on March 13, 2013, by the cardinals gathered in conclave, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, and he took the name Francis, because, inspired by the saint of Assisi, he wanted to place the poorest people of the world foremost in his heart. From the balcony of the apostolic palace, he introduced himself with the words: "Brothers and sisters, good evening! And now, let us begin this journey: the bishop and the people. The journey of the Roman Church, which lovingly presides over all the Churches. The journey of fraternity, of love, and of trust among us." And then, bowing his head, he said: "Please, pray for me, so that the Lord may bless me: pray with the prayer of the people, who ask for a blessing for their bishop." On March 19, on the feast of Saint Joseph, he officially began his Petrine ministry.
Francis, who always showed concern for the most vulnerable and those marginalized by society, immediately after his election decided to reside in the *Domus Sanctae Marthae*, because he could not be without contact with people, and from the first Maundy Thursday, he desired to celebrate Mass *in Cena Domini* outside the Vatican, always visiting prisons, centers for the disabled, or drug rehabilitation centers. He encouraged priests to always be ready to administer the sacrament of reconciliation, to have the courage to come out of the sacristies and seek out lost sheep, and to keep the doors of the church open so that all who desire to encounter the face of God the Father can be welcomed.
He carried out his Petrine service with tireless dedication and to the benefit of dialogue with Muslims and representatives of other religions, whom he sometimes invited to prayer meetings and with whom he signed joint declarations promoting harmony among people of different faiths, such as the *Document on Human Fraternity*, signed on February 4, 2019, in Abu Dhabi with the Sunni leader al-Tayeb. His love for the poor, the elderly, and the young led him to establish the World Day of the Poor, the World Day of Grandparents, and the World Day of Children. He also instituted the Sunday of the Word of God.
More than any of his predecessors, he expanded the College of Cardinals, convening ten consistories in which he appointed 163 cardinals, 133 of whom are electors and 30 are non-electors, from 73 countries, 23 of which had never before had a cardinal. He convened five sessions of the Synod of Bishops, three ordinary sessions dedicated to the family, young people, and synodality, one extraordinary session also on the family, and one special session for the Pan-Amazon region.
He repeatedly spoke out in defense of the innocent. Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, on the evening of March 27, 2020, he decided to pray alone in St. Peter's Square, whose columns symbolically embrace Rome and the entire world, for humanity, frightened and affected by this unknown disease. The last years of his pontificate were marked by numerous appeals for peace, against a third world war being waged in stages in various countries, especially in Ukraine, but also in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, and Myanmar.
After a ten-day hospitalization for a surgical procedure at the Gemelli Hospital, which began on July 4, 2021, Francis returned to the same hospital on February 14, 2025, for a 38-day stay due to bilateral pneumonia. Upon his return to the Vatican, he spent the last weeks of his life in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where, even though he was not yet fully recovered, he continued to dedicate himself to his Petrine office with unwavering dedication until the end. On Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, he appeared for the last time in the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica to impart the solemn blessing *Urbi et Orbi*.
Pope Francis's pontificate was remarkably rich. As a witness to a humble and unassuming style based on openness to missionary work, apostolic courage, and mercy, and attentive to the dangers of self-centeredness and spiritual worldliness within the Church, the Pope presented his apostolic program in the exhortation *Evangelii Gaudium* (November 24, 2013). Key documents include 4 encyclicals: *Lumen Fidei* (June 29, 2013), which addresses the theme of faith in God; *Laudato Si'* (May 24, 2015), which deals with the problem of ecology and humanity's responsibility for the climate crisis; *Fratelli Tutti* (October 3, 2020), on human brotherhood and social friendship; and *Dilexit Nos* (October 24, 2024), on devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. He issued 7 apostolic exhortations, 39 apostolic constitutions, numerous apostolic letters, most of which were in the form of *motu proprio*, 2 bulls proclaiming Holy Years, in addition to the catecheses delivered during general audiences and the speeches given in various parts of the world. After establishing the secretariats for communication and for the economy, and the dicasteries for the laity, family and life, and for promoting integral human development, he reformed the Roman Curia with the apostolic constitution *Praedicate Evangelium* (March 19, 2022). He changed the canonical process for cases involving the declaration of nullity of marriage in the CCEO and CIC (*M.P. Mitis et misericors Iesus* and *Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus*) and tightened the legislation concerning crimes committed by clergy against minors or vulnerable individuals (*M.P. Vos estis lux mundi*).
Francis left behind a remarkable testimony for all of us about humanity, holy life, and universal fatherhood.
*CORPUS FRANCISCI P.M.*
*VIXIT ANNOS LXXXVIII, MENSES IV DIES IV.*
*ECCLESIAE UNIVERSAE PRAEFUIT*
*ANNOS XII MENSES I DIES VIII*
*Semper in Christo vivas, Pater Sancte!*
The body of Pope Francis
He lived for 88 years, 4 months, and 4 days.
He led the entire Church for 12 years, 1 month, and 8 days.
Holy Father, may you always live in Christ!
(Signatures of witnesses to the funeral rites…)
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