Francis's papacy heralded many firsts and while he never stopped introducing reforms to the Catholic Church, he remained popular among traditionalists. He was the first pope from the Americas or the Southern Hemisphere. He was the first non-European Bishop of Rome since Syrian-born Gregory III died in 741. As Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina, he was already in his seventies when he became Pope in 2013. He also made several trips to the African continent, ordaining some of the very first cardinals in different African nations.
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21 Apr 2025
- As an at-times unwitting star on social media, Pope Francis knew how to exploit the internet to preach the gospel, broadening the Church's appeal while modernising its communications.
21 Apr 2025
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21 Apr 2025
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21 Apr 2025
- With Pope Francis’s death, the immediate running of the Vatican is now in the hands of one cardinal, Dublin-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell. Known as the Camerlengo, and appointed by the pope, it is he who will lead meetings to determine the date of Francis…
21 Apr 2025
- Some cardinals who are being talked about as "papabili" to succeed Pope Francis, whose death at the age of 88 was announced by the Vatican on Monday.
