The Pontiff, who had been the head of the Catholic Church for 12 years, had brought health problems since February
Pope Francis died on Monday (21) in Rome at 7:35 am (2h35 of Brasilia). Francisco was hospitalized on February 14, initially for a bronchitis, but then received the diagnosis of bilateral pneumonia. He spent almost 40 days hospitalized, and on Sunday (20), appeared by surprise in São Pedro Square. “The bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. All his life was devoted to the service of the Lord and his church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we recommend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the Triune,” Vatican.
So far, the Vatican has given no detail about Pope Francis’ funeral. The Catholic Church should meet in the coming weeks to decide who will be the new Pope.
Health history
Francisco’s health, weakened since childhood, generated concerns since 2021, when he spent 10 days hospitalized because of an operation in the large intestine, which, he said, left sequelae and caused him to rule out an operation in his right knee. He had osteoarthritis, also called arthrosis. Not undergoing a new surgery, on recommendations from his doctors, since 2022 he was seen walking with the help of canes or using a wheelchair, because he was having difficulty walking, which made him need to cancel some commitments.
In June 2023, Francis had to undergo urgent abdominal hernia surgery due to a postoperative hernia with intestine obstruction syndrome that caused pain and often also sublusive syndrome. The worsening of his health problems made the Argentine declare that he could resign his office – he even left a letter signed – if he was unable to perform his duties and could no longer be able to do his work.
“It is true that I wrote my resignation two months after my election (in March 2013)… I did it in case I had a health problem that prevents me from exercising my ministry,” Francisco said, although he then clarified that he had not yet thought to resign from office.
In July 2022, Francis confessed that “he could no longer travel” at the same pace as before and even mentioned that he could move away. In February 2023, despite raising the idea that would give up office if necessary, he stated that the resignation of a Pope “should not become fashionable” and that this idea “was not in his agenda” – if he left the position of head of the Catholic Church, he would be the second consecutive pope to make that decision. Francisco revealed that since 2022 had a “personal health assistant”, a nurse, who accompanies him permanently. Pope’s health has always been a “reserved article” for the Vatican and usually kept secret.
Argentine doctor and journalist Nelson Castro recently presented in Rome a book about the health of the popes and the diseases suffered by them since Leo XIII and spoke in particular about the subject with Francis. He told Castro that he had “recovered completely” and that “it had not been limited since then.” At age 21, the pontiff almost died of pleurisy, according to his biographer Austen Ivereigh, and so they had to remove some cysts from his lung in 1957. Francisco recalled the episode and confessed that he understood how the people who contracted coronaviruses were felt.
“They have to fight to breathe through artificial respirators,” he emphasized. His health problems while still archbishop of Buenos Aires made him go to a Chinese acupuncturist to treat back pain, his biographer told The Tablet Catholic. In addition, he also suffered from “gallbladder calculations” and, in 2004, had a “temporary” heart problem due to a slight narrowing of an artery.
His liver problems were solved with a change in the diet. The pontiff also revealed that he had to resort to psychological support, with consultations once a week for six months to deal with his anxiety. He later said that he treats the condition listening to pianist Bach or taking mate, typical drink of Argentina.
Learn more about Francisco
Born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio became a Pope on March 13, 2013 and from the beginning showed his desire to break, appearing on the porch of St. Peter’s Basilica without any liturgical ornament. Former Buenos Aires, who has never made a career in the corridors of Rome, wanted “sheep shepherds” to return dynamism to an increasingly present and surpassed church in many regions for the vitality of evangelical cults.
He took new air to Rome. He chose to live in a sober apartment, rejecting the sumptuous apostolic palace, and often invited home residents or prisoners. During his time at the head of the Catholic Church, he suggested the possibility that the priests bless same -sex couples, but emphasized that the blessing would be decided on a case -by -case basis and warned not to be confused with marriage ceremonies of heterosexual couples.
Until his last day as a Pope, he continued to mobilize the faithful abroad. During his years as head of the Catholic Church, he faced the scandals of sexual abuse of minors by religious, abolishing “pontifical confidentiality,” which was used by ecclesiastical authorities not to communicate such acts. An important but insufficient gesture for victims’ associations.
Francisco also positioned himself on the current international policy, denounced the situation in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, offering himself as a great mediator, and recently began a conflict with Nicaragua by criticizing his authoritarian excesses and attacks against the church after the conviction of Bishop Nicaraguan rolling Álvarez to 26 years and 4 months in prison.
Francisco was the leader of the Jesuits during the brutal Argentine dictatorship of the 1970s. During the the Pontiff stated that he never imagined “leading the church in World War II”, referring to the conflict between e which has been happening since February 24, 2022. “I didn’t expect it. I thought Syria was going to be unique, then the others came. I suffered to see young people dying, whether Russian or Ukrainians, I don’t care, not coming back. It’s hard,” said the pontiff, adding that we need peace. Asked about his time as head of the Catholic Church, he stated that he lived under tension.
“Time flies … It’s in a hurry. When you want to grab today, it’s already yesterday. Living like this is something new. These ten years were like this: living in tension.” Francisco was the first Latin American to be a Pope and had his papacy marked by his popularity among the faithful and the fierce resistance within the Catholic Church to his reform project, even if they do not question the doctrinal pillars.
In December 2023, Francisco revealed in an interview with the Mexican press that he did not want to be buried in the Vatican, his desire that the burial was in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, in . “The place is already prepared. I want to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore”, at the time, revealing that he had already prepared the details of his funeral and simplified the Ito, which is particularly long.
Jorge Bergoglio, who attended this temple on Sundays before his election in 2013, said he feels a “very large connection” with this basilica located in the center of the Italian capital, where seven popes rest, according to the ‘Vatican News’. The Argentine Jesuit had the habit of praying in this place before and after each trip abroad.
*Update
Posted by Nátaly Tenório
