Whoa, hold up, Pope Francis is gone? They’re saying the guy who shook things up in the Vatican, the first-ever pope from the Americas, has passed away at the age of 88. Vatican’s all official on this. So there was this Cardinal, Kevin Farrell, yeah, he went on video and dropped the bombshell. It’s like, “Hey folks, sad news, our Holy Father is no more,” — translated, of course.
So here we are, with Francis making his ‘return’ as they put it, at 7:35 in the morning. Imagine spending your whole life doing church stuff, and now everyone’s all sentimental about his ‘values of the Gospel’ – ya know, fighting for the poor and whatnot. Like, legit, the guy walked the talk on the whole love and courage front.
And just like that, he’s at peace in Casa Santa Marta, but they’re gearing up to bury him over at St. Mary Major. Seems fitting, don’t it? Thing is, he’d been battling all sorts of health drama since February – bronchitis took a gnarly turn, pneumonia and all. His hospital stint lasted like 38 days. That’s no walk in the park.
Next up, the conclave’s on deck to pick the next pope. That’s the routine, the gathering of Cardinals. The Vatican waiting game begins!
Here’s the thing: Francis was the 266th guy to take on the Vatican rollercoaster, after Pope Benedict stepped down – yes, that actually happened in 2013. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, way back in ’36 in Buenos Aires among a pretty regular crew. His dad? Italian immigrant. Mom, Italian-Argentine. Oldest of five. Who knew a bouncer could turn pope? Yep, did the janitor gig, chemistry tech, and then BAM—Jesuit priest in ’69. Quite a hustle, right?
By ’73, he’s steering the ship in Argentina, leading Jesuit missions at, what, 36? There was this Pope John Paul II guy who later made Francis a bishop, then archbishop, then boom – a cardinal.
But oh man, his time leading the church wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. 2021, wow, what a year. U.S. Bishops almost stirred up a storm wanting to deny Communion over…political stuff. Can’t say Francis was chill with that. Communion? It’s not a trophy for rockstar Christians, in his books. Everyone gets a piece.
He never said no to anyone needing the Eucharist. He’s like a pastor first – less judging, more hugging. Wait, not literally. Stick to the church rules though – abortion was still a seriously sore spot for him. He’s quoted, “homicide” – now that’s strong coffee talk.
You know what’s wild? Francis didn’t shy from hot topics. He backed LGBTQ+ folks, even chanting “Todos, todos, todos!” over in Portugal to get his message across. Yeah, the church isn’t a hate club, he says everybody’s welcome. 2023 was a big year — gay couples could get blessings, not exactly weddings but OK.
The women too – wanted them doing more in the Vatican, voting included. What? Women with votes in the church? Yup. Historic shift. Gotta say, he was kinda breaking molds, reshaping old walls.
Health-wise, Francis wasn’t invincible. Lost a chunk of lung in his younger days, later had colon surgery – something about the guts twisting up. Unplanned, unsettling, but he took it on. Bounced back from bronchitis in ‘23, even cracked a joke about dodging death.
For now, we tip our hats to Francis. Dude left a mark – love him or not. Let’s see how his successor fills those shoes.
