Pope Francis, leader of the world¡¯s 1.4 billion Catholics, died this week, age 88. The pope had been battling pneumonia and had returned home in late March after weeks in the hospital. Determined as ever to be a pope of the people, he offered an Easter Sunday benediction despite his frailty. He died the next morning.
Francis was a reformer, committed to making the Catholic Church more open, more compassionate and more engaged with contemporary social issues. That mission was not welcomed by all the faithful. He leaves a church that is deeply divided, which should come as no surprise given the vast social divisions that mark the world beyond the Vatican¡¯s walls.
The pontif was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was a chemist before entering the church; once ordained, he rose through its ranks as a priest, archbishop and cardinal. His thinking was shaped by life under the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina, instilling in him a deep sense of justice and compassion.
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