When did Pope Francis become the pope? All about the first Latin-American Pope to head the Vatican

The world has lost a true beacon of hope, positive change, and compassion with the passing of Pope Francis. The news was confirmed by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican Camerlengo, who shared that Pope Francis passed in the early hours of Easter Monday on April 21 at 88 years old.

Pope Francis made waves for his kind nature and empathy toward the marginalized, while also acknowledging the importance of mitigating our devastating environmental impact on the Earth. What truly set him apart however was two fold. Firstly, he made history in 2013 as the first ever Jesuit pope. Furthermore, he was also the first Latin-American pope to head the Vatican and the first non-European to have the honor in over 1,200 years.

Pope Francis - Background Explored

Pope Francis was born Jose Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The recently deceased head of the papacy was reportedly inspired to join the Jesuits in 1958 after recovering from severe illness. A little over a decade later, he was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969.

Bergoglio then became the archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was eventually named a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. Pope Francis, as he came to be known, was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2013 to 2025, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.

Pope Francis's manner gained him the respect and adulation of countless people around the globe. His accessibility set him apart from those he followed which was evident from the beginning. It has been widely known that on the night of his election, he even wound up taking a bus back to his hotel alongside all of the cardinals instead of being driven in the papal car.

Francis also opted not to live in the Apostolic Palace, the official papal residency in practice, and spent his days in the Vatican guest house instead. This made it possible for him to have more frequent visitors and hold meetings at his behest. Interestingly, he was the first pope to live outside the papal apartments since Pope Pius X who passed in 1914.

Perhaps his most tangible contribution to the modern papacy was the way he altered the culture. It was his belief that the church should shift from "clericalism" which hinges largely upon on priestly status and authority toward an ethic of service.

In addition to his native tongue, Spanish, Pope Francis was able to converse in several other languages including Italian, German and Latin, giving further credence to his seemingly unimpeachable air of accessibility and openness towards a wide array of his constituents.

Unfortunately the Pope's health had become compromised in the final months of his life. He spent several weeks at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome where he was treated for pneumonia in both lungs after having experienced persistent breathing difficulty. He was initially admitted on February 14, although his battle with pneumonia had been an on-going issue for quite a while prior.

His leadership and ability to unite has garnered praise from several key figures since his demise. Pope Francis was seen as a true inspiration for so many, regardless of faith, and will be truly missed as one of humanity’s brightest lights as the future continues to grow more uncertain.

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