The Catholic Church is mourning the recent death of Pope Francis.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Buenos Aires, December 17, 1936 - Vatican City, April 21, 2025) is the Church's first Latin American pope. This Easter Octave, let us recall some highlights of his pontificate.
1) The Pope “of the ends of the earth."
On the evening of March 13, 2013, Pope Francis stepped out onto the balcony of Saint Peter's Square and addressed the thousands of faithful present:
"You know that the duty of the conclave was to give a bishop to Rome. It seems that my brother Cardinals have gone to the ends of the earth to look for him, but we are here."
2) World Youth Day in Rio 2013
In August 2013, Pope Francis traveled to Brazil for World Youth Day (WYD) Rio 2013, where more than three million faithful participated in the Mass on Copacabana beach.
There, he encouraged young people to "play as a team" for God and exhorted them to make prayer, sacraments, and helping others the center of their lives.
3) Visit to Lampedusa
On July 8, 2013, Francis traveled to the Italian island of Lampedusa, on his first pastoral visit outside Rome, to denounce the "globalization of indifference" that receives migrants who risk their lives trying to reach Europe. The situation of the refugees would be a great concern of his pontificate.
In 2016, he returned from Greece with 12 Syrian immigrants on board his plane.
4) Canonization of John Paul II and John XXIII
On April 27, 2014, with the presence of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Pope Francis declared two popes saints: Saint John XXIII and Saint John Paul II. The occasion, considered historic, thus brought together four Popes of the Catholic Church.
5) The biggest Catholic Mass in history
Pope Francis visited the Philippines in January 2015. Among the various events he presided over, a massive Mass took place in Manila's Rizal Park, which, according to official figures, between six and seven million people attended.
6) Pope Francis' trip to Cuba
In September 2015, Pope Francis became the third Pope to visit Cuba after Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI. There, he met separately with Raúl and Fidel Castro, and became the first Pope to celebrate Mass in the sanctuary of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Patroness of Cuba.
7) The Year of Mercy
God's mercy was one of the great themes of Pope Francis' pontificate.
On Dec. 8, 2015, he proclaimed the Year of Mercy and began it by opening the Holy Door in the Cathedral of Bangui, in the Central African Republic. This was the first time a pope began a jubilee outside of Rome.
During that year, which ended in November 2016, Francis established the "Fridays of Mercy," a tradition in which the Pope visits by surprising the most needy or people who could feel distant from the Church.
8) Apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia (The Joy of Love)
On April 8, 2016, Pope Francis published the post-synodal apostolic exhortation entitled ,, on love in the family. The text is the result of the reflections of the Holy Father from the Synods of Bishops on the Family held in the Vatican in 2014 and 2015.
9) Visit to Fatima for the 100th anniversary of the Blessed Virgin Mary's apparitions
In 2017, the Holy Father traveled to Fatima, Portugal, for the celebration of the centenary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to the three shepherd children: Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucía.
On May 13, 2017, exactly 100 years after the first apparitions, the Pope declared Francis and Jacinta, the children who witnessed the apparitions, saints.
10) Historic trip to the United Arab Emirates
Pope Francis visited the United Arab Emirates from February 3-5, 2019. This was a historic meeting for the Pontiff's involvement in world peace and reconciliation processes. During the visit, he signed together with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the highest Sunni Islamic religious authority, a common Declaration on human brotherhood.
11) Urbi et Orbi Blessing for the COVID-19 pandemic
On Friday, March 27, 2020, the Pope presided over a unique moment of prayer for the COVID-19 pandemic in which he imparted the Urbi et Orbi blessing to Rome and the world, with the possibility of the faithful to obtain the plenary indulgence.
The prayer was carried out from the atrium of Saint Peter's Basilica, in the middle of the rain and in front of an empty square due to the security measures that the Italian authorities had arranged to overcome the health emergency.
12) Beatification of Carlo Acutis and encyclical Fratelli tutti
The young Italian who died in 2006 of leukemia when he was only 15 years old and known as the "cyberapostle of the Eucharist," was declared "Blessed" on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, by Cardinal Agostino Vallini, Papal Legate for the Basilicas of Saint Francis and Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi, in a ceremony held in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.
A few days earlier, on October 3, he signed his encyclical, Fratelli tutti (Brothers all), about fraternity and social friendship at the Papal Basilica and Sacred Convent of Saint Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy.
13) Pope Francis' trip to Iraq
Pope Francis was on an apostolic visit to Iraq from March 5-8, 2021, being the first Pope to travel to this country, where Christians suffered years of violence and persecution.
During his stay, he visited churches that the Islamic State destroyed and participated in an interreligious meeting in the plain of Ur, the land of Abraham. He was the first Pope to celebrate a Mass in the Chaldean rite and brought hope to Christian communities affected by terrorism.
14) Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
One month after Russia invaded Ukraine, Pope Francis consecrated both nations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for peace and the cessation of the conflict.
15) Funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
On Jan. 5, 2023, Pope Francis said goodbye to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI by presiding over his funeral in Saint Peter's Square. This ended an unprecedented chapter in the years of history of the Catholic Church. Benedict's resignation in 2013 paved the way for the election of Francis, and the two men lived in the Vatican for a decade as Popes, one emeritus and the other in office.
16) Opening of the Jubilee of Hope
The opening of the Jubilee 2025 marked another significant moment in Francis' pontificate. On Dec. 24, 2024, the Pope inaugurated the Holy Year with the opening of the Holy Door in Saint Peter's Basilica, starting this celebration in which he invited us to open the doors to hope.
He also opened an additional Holy Gate in the Rebibbia prison in Rome. This gesture expanded the meaning of the Jubilee, taking its message of hope to the margins of society.
"I wanted the second Holy Gate to be here, in a prison," Pope Francis said.
This door joined the four traditional Holy Doors of Rome: Saint Peter's Basilica, Saint John Lateran Basilica, Saint Paul Outside the Walls Basilica, and Saint Mary Major Basilica.