On April 21, 2025, Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88. This was a major moment for Catholic believers as the beloved leader was gone. Pope Francis lived a long humble life coming to a peaceful end due to a stroke that had stopped his humble heart. Just before his death,, Pope Francis made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday, giving his traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. After declaring “Buona Pasqua!” (Happy Easter!), he indicated someone would read his message for him. Francis’ final Easter address called for an end to violence worldwide, and compassion for the world’s marginalized people, just a day later he suffered a stroke that put him in a coma and finally, irreversible heart failure declared the Vatican.
Who was Pope Francis?
Pope Francis was born on the 17th of December 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, in Argentina he grew up and eventually joined the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit Order) in 1958 after surviving pneumonia at 21. In his time he was officially ordained as a Catholic priest in 1969. Pope Francis was elected to the papacy (becoming pope) in St. Peter’s Square, on March 13, 2013, after a conclave of Cardinals (Cardinals are high ranking priests in the catholic church) selected him as the successor to Pope Benedict XVI. As the pope, Francis lived a very humble and peaceful life compared to the popes before him. For instance, Francis chose to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae (House of St. Martha) guest house rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by previous popes. The Pope’s primary job is to serve as the spiritual leader and head of the Roman Catholic Church, acting as the Bishop of Rome and the Supreme Pastor of the Church. This role involves guiding over 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide, upholding Church doctrine, addressing contemporary issues, and promoting unity and charity. The Pope also serves as the head of Vatican City, making him a significant figure in both religious and political spheres.
Local impact of Pope Francis’ Death.
The pope’s funeral took place on April 26th, 2025 in St. Peter’s square at 4 AM EST. To get the local perspective, I investigated how students and staff at TCA feel about the passing of Pope Francis.
TCA Heights: What is your opinion about Pope Francis?
“My opinion about Pope Francis is that he’s a great guy and he believed in Jesus Christ and I appreciate him taking care of my people, Dominicans, not only Dominicans but people in general.”
-Valerie Jimenez, Student at TCA
TCA Heights: How do you feel now that Pope Francis has passed away?
“It’s not only me that feels bad, but everyone does and we all wish that he could still be alive”
-Juan Melo, Staff member at TCA
TCA Heights: How do you think others will be affected by Pope Francis’ death?
“I think people who are Catholic might mourn him more …”
-Hayden Rodriguez, Student at TCA
