The Pope’s death comes fewer than 24 hours after he made an appearance at the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square for Easter Sunday.
He came out in a wheelchair and waved from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to cheering crowds and said: “Dear brothers and sisters, happy Easter.”
Following the blessing, he was driven around the square. As he passed through the crowds, his procession paused a number of times as babies were brought over for him to bless.
Pope Francis leaves a Church more inclusive and open to the world, but split on the inside
Pope Francis, the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, leaves behind a legacy that reshaped the Church in both pastoral and political dimensions.
From his earliest days as pope, Francis set a new tone for the Vatican. He abandoned many of the traditional trappings of papal opulence, preferring simplicity and direct engagement with the faithful.
A champion of the poor, he advocated for a “Church as a field hospital,” close to the forgotten and the marginalised. His first papal trip to the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa underscored his commitment to human rights.
When he was elected in 2013, he was the first Pope from the Americas. He was also the first pontiff to travel to several “world’s peripheries,” including Myanmar, South Sudan and Central African Republic.
Francis was considered a “disruptor.” He encouraged open debate within the Church, hosting synods that addressed controversial topics such as LGBTQ inclusion and the role of women in the Vatican hierarchies.
His tenure, marked by inclusivity and reform, was also met with division. While many hailed his steps forward, others saw them as a break from tradition.
“History will judge him as a divisive character,” Catholic author Edward Pentin said, as Francis “alienated the conservatives,” failing to unify the Church.
His declining health in later months did not diminish his resolve. Last September he embarked on his longest papal journey ever, while in January he appointed Sister Simona Brambilla as the first female prefect of the Vatican.
As the cardinals prepare to elect his successor, Vatican experts are divided between those who expect continuity and those who predict a shift to a more centrist figure.
Although “there’s nobody like Pope Francis,” as Father Tom Reese observed, “the Holy Spirit will have to find somebody who can carry on his legacy and even move it forward.”
