Pope Francis dies at 88: Look back at many firsts and historic Papacy Today World News

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away on April 21, 2025, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. He was 88 years old.

Here’s are glimpses from the life and papacy of Pope Francis:

First Pope in 600 years to don the mantle after resignation of predecessor

In the 2013 Conclave, Cardinal Bergoglio was elected pope on the fifth ballot and took the name of Francis. He was chosen in one of the fastest Conclaves in years, remarkable given there was no clear front-runner going into the vote and that the church had been in turmoil following Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise resignation.

In a first of its kind after 600 years, Pope Benedict XVI resigned and gave up his ministry on February 28, 2013. This paved way for Pope Francis to be elected as his successor.

First non-European, first Jesuit Pope

Pope Francis was 76 when he was chosen the 266th successor to the See of St. Peter. His papacy was significant for several reasons. He was the first pope from outside Europe in more than a thousand years. Further, he was the first Jesuit ever to become Pope in the Order’s near 500-year history.

Also, as Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he did not stay in the bishop’s palace but in an apartment. He preferred using public transport to a chauffeured limousine and cooking his own meals.

First speech to the city of Rome and to the world

In his first speech, he began with a disarmingly informal “good evening,” and ended with a friendly “goodnight, sleep well”! He referred to himself as the “bishop of Rome” and invited them to begin together “this journey, the Bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which presided in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust.” He said, “Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world that there might be a great sense of brotherhood.” Before he gave his blessing, he asked the people “for a favour first” to pray for “their bishop … in silence”. And finally he assured them that he would “pray to the Madonna to protect Rome.”

First press meet

At his first press meet, Pope Francis said he was immediately inspired to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi because of his work for peace and the poor and was embraced by another cardinal.

“Let me tell you a story,” said Pope Francis taking a break from his prepared text and then described how he was comforted by his friend, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, as it appeared that the voting was going his way and it seemed “a bit dangerous” that he would reach the two-thirds necessary to be elected.

“He hugged me. He kissed me. He said don’t forget about the poor,” Pope Francis recalled. “And that’s how in my heart came the name Francis of Assisi,” who devoted his life to the poor, missionary outreach and caring for God’s creation.

First Pope who got ‘Man of the Year’ for defending gay rights

In 2013, the magazine The Advocate that defends gay rights, had declared Pope Francis its Man of the Year for everything he’s done for the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans-sexual) community.

Further, In 2013, Time magazine selected Pope Francis as the Person of the Year. At his first year of papacy, the Pope was selected by the magazine’s editor as the person who had the greatest impact on the world. But, he was not the first to receive this title. In 1962, Pope John XXIII was selected as Time magazine’s Person of the Year. At that time, Time managing editor Nancy Gibbs said Pope Francis had changed the tone, the perception and focus of one of the world’s largest institutions in an extraordinary way.

In a first in 600 years, two popes met over lunch

Pope Francis travelled to Castel Gandolfo to have lunch with his predecessor Benedict XVI in a historic and potentially problematic melding of the papacies that has never before confronted the Catholic Church.

The Vatican said the two Popes embraced on the helipad. In the chapel where they prayed together, Pope Emeritus Benedict offered Pope Francis the traditional kneeler used by the pope. Pope Francis refused to take it alone, saying “We’re brothers”, and the two prayed together on the same one.

First Pope to break tradition by washing women’s feet

In the end of March 2013, Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of a dozen inmates at a juvenile detention centre in a Holy Thursday ritual. Two of the 12 were young women, a remarkable choice given that the Church’s liturgical law says only men should participate.

“The Mass was held in the Casal del Marmo facility in Rome, where 46 young men and women are detained. The 12 included Orthodox and Muslim detainees,” reports said.

Later, the Vatican released a limited video of the ritual, wherein Pope Francis washed black feet, white feet, male feet, female feet and even a foot with tattoos.

First Pope to favour decriminalising homosexuality

Pope Francis criticised laws that criminalise homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQIA+ people into the Church.

“Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” Pope Francis said during an interview on January 24, 2023 with The Associated Press.

Francis was the first to ‘seek forgiveness’ for child sexual abuse

Pope Francis said the Catholic Church must “seek forgiveness” over the “scourge” of child sexual abuse, during a visit to Belgium where the Church’s dark past looms large.

In a speech before political and civil society leaders, Pope Francis denounced the “tragic instances of child abuse” as a stain on the Church’s legacy.

“It is our shame and our humiliation,” Pope told the gathering at the Laeken Palace royal residency. “The Church must be ashamed and must seek forgiveness,” he said.

Pope updated canon law to address paedophilia by priests

Pope Francis updated the Catholic Church’s criminal code by adding details on punishing sexual abuse crimes of minors by priests, measures long sought by activists against paedophilia.

Since becoming pope in 2013, the Argentine pontiff has striven to tackle the decades-long sexual abuse scandals involving Catholic priests around the globe, although many activists against paedophilia insist much more needs to be done. He convened an unprecedented summit on clerical sex abuse in 2019 while lifting secrecy rules that hindered investigations of abusing priests, among other measures.

Pope apologised for ‘catastrophic’ school abuses in Canada

Pope Francis issued a historic apology for the Catholic Church’s cooperation with Canada’s “catastrophic” policy of Indigenous residential schools, saying the forced assimilation of Native peoples into Christian society destroyed their cultures, severed families and marginalised generations in ways still being felt.

“I am deeply sorry,” Pope said, to applause from school survivors and Indigenous community members gathered at a former residential school south of Edmonton, Alberta, the first event of Francis’ weeklong “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada.