Catholic Church mourns: Pope Francis is dead

Pope Francis is dead. According to the Vatican, the head of the Roman Catholic Church died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. Due to pneumonia, he was in the hospital for 38 days in spring. Most recently, he stayed in his residence in the Vatican. On Easter Sunday, he had donated the blessing Urbi et Orbi to tens of thousands of believers. He already looked very weak.

“This morning at 7.35 a.m. the bishop of Rome, Francis returned to the father’s house,” said the Vatican’s message. “His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and his church.” Francis stood at the top of around 1.4 billion Catholics all over the world for more than a decade. He was also a bishop of Rome and head of state of the Vatican.

Born in Argentine – with a bourgeois name Jorge Mario Bergoglio – has been in office since March 2013. At that time he became Benedict XVI after the surprising resignation of the German Pope. elected to the successor, as the first non -European for more than 1,200 years. For a long time, Francis had the emeritus Pope at his side in the Vatican: Benedict XVI. – With a bourgeois name Joseph Ratzinger – died in 2022 at the age of 95.

Conclave chooses new Pope

Soon there is now a conclave in the Sistine chapel in Rome. In this way, the Catholic Church, with its more than two millennia -old history, determines the next Pope. Cardinals from all over the world are entitled to vote as long as they have not reached the age of 80. Francis’ successor will be the 267th Pontifex. Previously, according to Catholic custom, there is a nine -day mourning time, the so -called Novendiale. State guests from all over the world are expected to burial.

Francis had been struck for a long time: in the summer of 2021 he had to be operated on at the intestine. In addition, he had a healing, which is why he mostly sat in a wheelchair on public dates. In the spring of 2023 he was treated in the hospital for severe pneumonia. A few weeks later, he was operated on the open stomach under general anesthesia.

Nevertheless, Franziskus regularly spoke up to church questions and also on world politics until the end. In autumn 2024 he ended one of his big projects: the world synod, a kind of global inventory of the Catholic Church, in which women were also involved for the first time. However, this did not result in concrete reforms. He was able to implement other projects such as a new constitution for the Vatican.

During his term, numerous scandals also fell for sexual abuse in various dioceses around the world. In response, the Pope used commissions to deal with and prevent. Francis was over a very popular Pope and a large reminder for the entire years. He tried to focus on weak and outcasts through acts and speeches. He also campaigned for refugees.

Son of Italian immigrants

The son of Italian immigrants was born on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires and initially trained as a cheman technician. Then he entered an order of Jesuit. In 1969 he was ordained a priest, in 1992 to the bishop. In the mid -1980s, he lived in Germany for a few months to write on a doctoral thesis, which he did not finish. In 2001 John Paul II made him a cardinal.

At the 2005 Conclave, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires was still defeated against Ratzinger. After his election eight years later, he jokingly presented himself as a Pope from the “end of the world”. With the choice of his name, Jesuit stood in the tradition of Franz of Assisis. The founder of the Franciscan begging order is still worshiped as the “Patron of the Poor”. Francis occurred much more modestly than many predecessors and often refrained from splendid.

Unlike the rather reserved and conservative Benedict, Francis caused enthusiasm among the believers on many trips abroad. For some trade fairs, more than a million people came. Last autumn he was in the Pacific room again for twelve days. He focused modesty and humility into the focus of his preaching and action. He criticized indifference and also a tendency to want to accumulate even more money and influence at the expense of weaker.

Francis stepped like a great reformer, but in the opinion of many, but remained behind the expectations. The celibacy, for example, can be abolished at some point, he said. Ultimately, however, he did not change anything. Francis underlined the role of women in the church in countless speeches – but he refused to ordinate the priest. Under Francis, the Vatican has also slowed down reforms of the German bishops.

Criticism of conservative cardinals

Some conservative church superiors criticized Francis’ pontificate. Especially because of the health problems, it has also been speculated on resignation for years, based on the model of his German predecessor. The Argentinian didn’t want to know anything about such speculation.

It will now be exciting in which direction the next Pope will steer the Catholic Church. It is quite possible that Francis’ theological and social ideas will be pursued: of the more than 130 cardinals voting in the complain, he chose significantly more than half personally.

Deputy Christ on earth

According to the Catholic teaching, the Pope is the successor to the apostle Paulus and deputy of Jesus Christ on earth. The official title is: “Bishop of Rome, governor of Jesus Christ, successor of the Apostle Prince, head of the entire church, patriarch of the West, Primas of Italy, archbishop and metropolitan of the church province of Rome, confidently of the state of the Vatican City, servant of the servant of God”.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, the first Pope Peter was used directly by Jesus, with the words: “You are Peter, the rock. On this rock I want to build my church.” According to tradition, Peter then went to Rome, where he was crossed as a martyr. St. Peter’s Basilica was built on the hill with its alleged grave. Popes are usually also buried there. Francis has chosen the Roman Marienkirche Santa Maria Maggiore as the place of rest.