Pope Francis has died

Pope Francis has died, the Vatican said, according to the AP.

He was 88 years old.

Pope Francis, born in 1936 as Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected head of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013 when Pope Benedict XVI abdicated due to age.

He was the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the first from both South America and the Jesuit order.

As a young man, Pope Francis studied chemistry before choosing to continue his studies in the priesthood. He has also studied theology and philosophy in Spain and Germany.

In 1969, he was ordained a priest, and in 1992 he became bishop of Buenos Aires.

Commitment to the poor
As Pope, he raised issues of economic inequality and defended the rights of poor people, something that is often linked to his upbringing in South America.

In several texts, he also criticized the negative effects of capitalism and warned against the exploitation of the environment for profit.

In addition, he took the initiative for reforms within the Vatican and worked actively to promote dialogue between different faiths.

Visit to Sweden
On October 31, 2016, Pope Francis visited Lund to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation of the church together with the Lutheran World Federation.

The meeting marked the first time that Catholics and Lutherans jointly celebrated the solemn event. During the visit, the Pope participated in an ecumenical service in Lund Cathedral.

It was the first time a pope had visited Sweden since John Paul II’s visit in 1989.

Double-sided pneumonia
In February 2025, the Vatican announced that the pope had suffered from double-sided pneumonia. He had part of one lung removed as a young man, which, together with his advanced age, created great concern.

He was later discharged from hospital and wished believers a happy Easter on Sunday.

Pope Francis turned 88 years old.