Elected in 2013 with a clear mandate to reform the Roman Curia, Pope Francis completed the project with his apostolic constitution, “Preach the Gospel,” nine years after taking office.
Pope Francis lived up to his namesake’s love, care for creation
Tapping into the spirit and spirituality of his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis made care for creation and for all that lives on the earth a pastoral priority.
Cardinals hold first meeting after pope’s death
Cardinals already present in Rome and those who were able to get to the city after Pope Francis’ death April 21 held their first meeting at the Vatican April 22.
Francis took pastoral and practical approach against abuse
Over the course of his pontificate, Pope Francis held up two recurring images: the good shepherd who looks for the lost sheep and lays down his life to save them; and the good Samaritan, who did not ignore the wounded traveler, but helped him without asking for anything in return.
Pope died of stroke, heart failure, coma, Vatican says
Pope Francis died April 21 after suffering a stroke and heart attack, said the director of Vatican City State’s department of health services. The pope had also gone into a coma.
Pope Francis’ pontificate: A timeline
Here is a timeline of some significant events in Pope Francis’ 12-year pontificate:
Vatican announces canonization of Blessed Acutis is postponed
With the death of Pope Francis, the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, which was scheduled for April 27, has been postponed.
U.S. cardinal announces pope’s death to the world
U.S. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, the “camerlengo” or chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, announced to the world that Pope Francis had died April 21 at the age of 88.
Changing the world demands changing direction, pope writes for Way of Cross
Today’s “builders of Babel” are constructing a hell on earth, rejecting everyone they decide are “losers,” Pope Francis wrote in the meditations for the Way of the Cross.
Love, not power saves the world, papal preacher says at service with Vance
Jesus, who redeemed humanity by giving up his life on the cross, shows that it is not strength that saves the world, but the “weakness” of boundless love, the papal preacher told thousands of people gathered for the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, including U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Vatican inaugurates nursery school for employees’ children
The Vatican inaugurated a nursery school for children of Vatican employees April 14.
God always waits, goes looking for those who are lost, pope says
The Gospel contains a great message of hope, “because it tells us that wherever we are lost and however we are lost, God always comes looking for us!” said the text for Pope Francis’ weekly general audience.