Vatican City

Pope Francis, the first Latin American and Jesuit pope, who championed the marginalised, embraced a humble papal lifestyle and reformed key aspects of the Catholic Church, died on Monday at the age of 88.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian immigrant parents. He was the eldest of five children. Ordained a Jesuit priest in 1969, he led the order in Argentina during the country's brutal dictatorship (1976–83), became archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, and was elevated to cardinal by St. John Paul II in 2001.

On March 13, 2013, he was elected the 266th pope on the fifth ballot — marking four historic firsts: the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit, the first to take the name Francis (after St. Francis of Assisi) and the first to visit Iraq, where he met top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in 2021.

As archbishop, Francis shunned privilege — riding the bus, cooking his meals and spending time in the slums. As pope, he continued this example, choosing to live in a small suite at the Santa Marta guesthouse instead of the Apostolic Palace, wearing his old orthotic shoes instead of the red papal loafers and using compact cars instead of limousines.

Francis made advocating for migrants a top priority. His first papal trip in 2013 was to Lampedusa, where he condemned the “globalisation of indifference”. He later prayed for the dead at the US-Mexico border, brought 12 Syrian Muslims to Rome from a refugee camp in Greece and challenged political figures, saying in 2016 of then-candidate Donald Trump that anyone building a wall to keep migrants out “is not a Christian”.

Francis also signalled a more inclusive approach to the LGBTQ+ community. Early in his papacy, he asked, “Who am I to judge?” when questioned about a gay priest. In a 2023 interview with the Associated Press, he declared that “being homosexual is not a crime” and approved blessings for same-sex couples, provided they do not resemble marriage rites.

He made environmental protection a hallmark of his leadership. In 2015, he issued the encyclical “Praised Be” (Laudato Si’), calling for a global cultural revolution to challenge the “structurally perverse” economic system that exploits the poor and degrades the planet, warning the world was turning Earth into “an immense pile of filth”.

Francis also faced serious challenges. In 2018, he initially dismissed claims by Chilean clergy abuse victims, siding with a bishop accused of complicity. Realising his mistake, he invited victims to the Vatican, personally apologised and forced Chile's bishops to resign. He defrocked former US Cardinal Theodore McCarrick after an investigation confirmed abuse of minors and adults. He reformed internal Church laws to abolish pontifical secrecy and mandated processes to investigate bishops accused of abuse or cover-ups. However, some critics noted that he still backed clergy under suspicion in several high-profile cases.

Conservatives within the Church increasingly opposed his reforms. After he opened the door in 2016 for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion, some branded him a heretic. In 2018, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano accused Francis of ignoring sexual misconduct allegations against McCarrick and demanded his resignation. Vigano later led a faction of vocal critics and was excommunicated in 2024 for schism.

In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute, stating, “His affection for people of India will always be cherished.”

The rites and burial of a Pope: What happens next

The death of a pope sets in motion an intricate series of rituals — beginning with the declaration of death and culminating in burial — guided by centuries of tradition and papal reform. In 2023, Pope Francis revised the process to reflect simplicity and humility, aligning with his vision of the papacy as a pastoral rather than a royal role.

These changes were codified in the red-bound manual “Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis”, Latin for “Rite of Burial for Roman Pontiffs”.

While funeral reforms are rare — none had been made since 2000 — they became necessary following Francis' personal wishes and the unprecedented 2022 death of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. The revised rites focus on three stages: declaration of death, public viewing and burial.

The confirmation of death occurred in the personal chapel of Pope Francis at the Santa Marta residence. This change — shifting the ritual from his bedroom — may be practical, as Francis had chosen not to live in the Apostolic Palace. Upon death, the Vatican’s chief health official examined the body, dressed in white, and prepared the official report.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo (the Vatican official who administers the Church between papacies), presided over the death pronouncement. The pope was then dressed in red vestments, a bishop's miter, and the pallium stole, with the Paschal candle placed nearby.

A significant change was the type of coffin: instead of the traditional triple-layered cypress, lead and oak, the pope’s remains were placed in a wooden coffin with a zinc inner layer. The camerlengo drafted the formal declaration of death and attached the medical certificate.

The body was moved to St. Peter’s Basilica as the Litany of Saints was sung. Departing from tradition, the coffin was not raised on a bier but positioned facing the congregation, again with the Paschal candle nearby.

On the eve of the funeral, the camerlengo and senior cardinals oversaw the sealing of the coffin. A white cloth was laid over the pope’s face. A pouch of coins minted during his papacy and a rogito — a one-page account of his pontificate — were placed inside. The rogito was read aloud by Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the master of liturgical ceremonies, and sealed in a tube within the coffin. A copy is preserved in the Vatican archives. The coffin bears a cross and Francis’ papal coat of arms, which he retained from his time as bishop: a Jesuit monogram and the motto “Miserando atque eligendo”, Latin for “Having had mercy, he called him”.

The funeral will be led by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re (91) or his vice, Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri (81). Francis had extended both their terms earlier this year.

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In another personal touch, Francis requested not to be buried in St. Peter’s Basilica or its grottoes. Instead, he will be interred at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, home to the Byzantine icon Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the People of Rome), which he deeply venerated. “It is my great devotion,” he told Mexico’s N+, adding, “The place is already prepared.”

With the burial, the Church begins a nine-day mourning period known as the “novemdiales”, after which the conclave to elect the next pope will begin.

(With AP inputs)