Papa liberal nos costumes
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 88, began his pontificate in 2013 as the 1st Latin American Pope. It was also 1st Jesuit to perform the function. The Jesuits are the priests of the Society of Jesus, toReligious Rem founded in 1534 by a group of students from the University of Paris, led by Basque Íñigo López de Loyola, later known as St. Ignatius of Loyola.
When designated Pope on March 13, 2013, Bergoglio He chose the name Francisco in honor of St. Francis of Assisi – a saint of the Catholic Church who had never been honored in this way. São Francisco de Assis (born in 1181 or 1182 and died in 1226) is known among Catholics for having devotion by animals and connection with nature.
On March 13, 2025, Francisco completed 12 years of pontificate. He led the Catholic Church for over a decade with a strategy to make the institution more open to the faithful, regardless of whether or not they are followers of all canons of Catholicism. He consolidated himself among Catholics as the “Pope of the People.”
Bergoglio kept the traditional Catholic doctrines, but with new interpretations. His positions in general welcoming and his discourses emphasizing mercy, inclusion, and social justice marked his image as a leader than his predecessors.
Then some milestones of Pope Francis’ pontificate:
- Most liberal Catholic Church He brought his pontificate closer to themes such as poverty, social inequality, and human rights. For example, it encouraged the creation of more active parishes in needy communities, promoting the direct involvement of the faithful in assisting the most needy;
- periphery – defended the performance of a decentralized missionary church to try to reach the peripheries of society. In 2015, for example, he stated that the church “No doors closed to anyoneAnd that the divorced “They are not excommunicated” e “cannot be treated as such”;
- Inclusion of non -Catholics – stated more than once that the gospel is for everyone, noting that the church should not be exclusive. After 6 months of papacy, for example, Francis adopted an inclusive tone in relation to atheists and agnostics in a letter written to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. In response to Eugenio Scalfari’s question, founder of the newspaper and an agnostic, if God would forgive non -believers, he said that “God forgives those who obey their own conscience” and that “God’s mercy has no limits”;
- gays – stated that “Homosexuality is not a crime”. that it is allowed to bless gay, but not the unions among same -sex people, according to the doctrine of the Church;
- women – encouraged greater participation of the laity and gave women more voice. Francisco made history to head a relevance department within the Vatican structure;
- environment – In 2015 the 1st Papal Encyclical Letter dedicated to the environment and the approach of the global climate crisis;
- paz – In speeches, he stressed the importance of negotiating the end of the wars: “A negotiated peace is always better than an infinite war. Please stop.”;
- sexual abuse He condemned the abuse in the church, stressed that they are intolerable and that it is necessary to continue working to ensure their punishment and prevention. Francisco created, in 2014, the Vatican advisory body that has the mission to propose and promote initiatives to protect children and adolescents from sexual abuse within the Church;
- immigrants – In the midst of one of the biggest debates in Europe on the entry of people illegally on the continent, he argued that people should be welcomed and treated humanly.
This pastoral and more open pastoral approach was one of Pope Francis’ brands to try to make the church more accessible and relevant, at a time when a drop in the number of Catholics has been registered in several countries ,.
For various times, Francisco left the protocol aside in his search to maintain a lifestyle close to people, which is one of the marks of his pontificate.
In 2015, for example, the pontiff personally went to an optic in downtown Rome to adjust his glasses. The establishment was close to the busy Piazza del Popolo. While the religious performed sight and adjusted the new lenses, dozens of people joined the door.
Years later, in 2022, Francisco gave a surprise visit to a record store in downtown Rome, near Pantheon. At the time, the Vatican the Pope was a former client of the place and was already attending him when he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires.
Transparency
During his pontificate, Francis increased transparency in the Catholic Church. He, for example, in 2019, the pontifical secret In cases of violence and sexual abuse committed by religious, allowing greater collaboration with civil authorities.
The rules established by the Pontiff oblige priests and religious to denounce suspicions of sexual abuse in the church, as well as any hierarchy covering. In 2023, the religious new standards, increasing protection for complainants.
Years earlier, in 2014, Francisco created the Secretariat for the Economyto supervise and reform the financial management of the Vatican.
The religious also promoted Changes in the control of IOR resources (Institute for Religion Works), known as the Vatican Bank. In 2019, when the Holy See’s financial institution was being accused of corruption and money laundering, Francisco new statutes that altered the structure of IOR and allowed auditory audit by the designated individual or legal entity.
Pope’s death
Pope Francis (21.br.2025) at the age of 88. The Pontiff to govern the Catholic Church in 700 years. With poor health, he suffered from breathing problems. It was February 14 at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome, Italy, to treat bronchitis, but exams revealed bilateral pneumonia. The religious and was recovering. His last public appearance was on Sunday (20.abr) ,.
His death was for the Vatican. The announcement was given in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta, in the Vatican, with the following words: “At 7:35 am this morning [2h35 de Brasília], The bishop of Rome, Francisco, returned to the Father’s house. All his life was devoted to the service of the Lord and his church ”.
Argentine born in the city of Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia in early February 2025. By 2023, Francisco had already spent 3 days hospitalized to treat a bronchitis. In March 2024, read your speech during a Vatican ceremony.
On February 17, the Vatican the Pontiff faced a complex clinical picture. Exam results indicated that bronchitis had evolved into a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract.
On February 22, the Vatican said that Francisco and that he “It was not out of danger”. The tests performed showed plateletopenia (decreased number of platelets in the blood) associated with anemia, which led to the need for transfusion. “The Holy Father remains vigilant and spent the day in the armchair, although more weakened than yesterday”he said.
On the afternoon of the next day, February 23, despite the critical picture, Francisco presented improvements and he maintained high flow oxygen therapy through nasal cannulas. The exams, however, pointed to mild initial renal failure, which, according to doctors, was under control.
Already on February 24, the Vatican reported that the Pope was still doing high flow oxygen therapy through nasal cannulas to help with breathing. On the same day, and in the afternoon resumed its work activities. Faithful by the pontiff in São Pedro Square, in the Vatican.
Then the Pope did not have new respiratory crises and laboratory tests presented more encouraging results, the Vatican said. However, considering the complexity of the pontiff’s clinical picture, as a precaution, doctors maintained the prognosis of “critical state”. On February 25, the Pope called the parish priest of Gaza to express his paternal proximity. Still through the statement, thanked “To all God’s people who in these days gathered to pray for their health”.
Last words
Francisco was discharged on March 23 and began a recovery period at the Vatican. On Sunday (20.br.2025), he made an appearance on the balcony of the Basilica of St. Peter ,. In the wheelchair and struggling to speak, the high pontiff wished the “dear brothers and sisters ”a“happy Easter”.
Then he passed the word to the master of ceremonies, Monsignor Diego Giovanni Ravelli, who read the message “City and the World”(“ To the city [de Roma] and to the world ”) of the Pope. In the end, he made the blessing before the thousands of faithful gathered in São Pedro Square.
In the message, the Pope urged politicians not to give in “the logic of fear”And made an appeal to disarmament.“The need that each people feel to guarantee their own defense cannot become a widespread race to weaponry”He said.
The Pope also stated in the text that the hope brought by Easter is not an alienating feeling, but of responsibility. The high pontiff lamented violence not only in countries, but also in families – “directed to women and children” – as well as contempt for the weak, marginalized and immigrants.
“I would like us to have confidence in others, even in those who are not close to us or who come from distant lands, with modes of life, ideas and customs different from those who are familiar to us“, These.
Fragile health
The health of the Pope had been deteriorating throughout his pontificate years. In 2021, the leader of the Catholic Church was hospitalized to perform a. At the time, it was .
He also lived with heart problems and suffered from chronic sciatica. He also faced lung problems since he was 20, when he removed part of the organ.
Another difficulty that affected Francis was his reduction in mobility. He started to have Knee pain after suffering a ligament fracture by taking a false step in January 2022. There was still a problem in the intervertebral space between the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae that caused hip and back pain.
Because of the conditions, Francisco had trouble walking. It started using wheelchair and cane to get around.
Advanced age and difficulty to walk made the pontiff announced on July 30, 2022, that he had entered . At the time, he also stated that if his health prevented him from leading the church, the time could come to consider renunciation.
About 5 months later, in December 18, 2022, Francisco a letter of resignation ready if he faced sudden health problems that made him “Incapacitated” for the function.
The pontiff did not use the letter. Although he had other health problems that caused Vatican concerns, Francisco showed resilience. He even said in March 2024 that his resignation was a “distant hypothesis”.
Read below other health problems that the pontiff faced:
- 7.jun.2023: for abdominal surgery. The procedure for repairing a hernia caused by the 2021 operation lasted 3 hours and;
- 26.nov.2023: a pulmonary infection after a light flu;
- 24.fev.2024: Francisco Commitments because of a light flu;
- 22.dez.2024: using hearing aids for the first time. The Vatican, at the time, did not comment on the use of the devices, nor did he informed the possible health problem that led the Pope to use the hearing aid;
- 16.jan.2025: An injury to the right forearm after falling at his residence at Casa Santa Marta. The Vatican reported that the religious leader did not suffer fracture, but had to immobilize his arm as a precaution;
- 14.fev.2025: It was to treat bilateral pneumonia.
