On April 21, 2025, Pope Francis passed away after a heart attack and a stroke. This followed a 38-day bout of double pneumonia, which he had recovered from on March 23.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis’ birth name, was born in Flores, Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936. He held the Pope position for 12 years after being appointed on March 13, 2013. He was the 266th pope and the first from the Americas.
Francis was very popular among young Catholics due to his positions on many social issues, such as LGBTQ acceptance, climate change, and migrants.
Tyler Cooke, sophomore, said, “I was very sad, he was very close to my heart and my home.”
Sami Fidducia, sophomore, said, “I was distraught, but I thought it was very meaningful that he passed on Easter Monday, almost like it was one last gift to the Catholic community.”
The next pope was chosen during the Papal Conclave, which began on May 7. The Conclave consists of all Cardinals under 80 voting to select the next pope.
During the conclave, the 135 Cardinals eligible to vote convened at the Sistine Chapel. They were unable to communicate with the outside world, nor were they able to leave unless there was an emergency. The conclave that selected Francis only lasted two days and consisted of two ballots. This conclave consisted of four ballots that lasted around a day.
Lincoln Gage, sophomore, said, “I want someone like Pope Francis, who was really accepting, he was a very unique pope, and I want someone like that again.”
Robert Prevost, a Chicago native, was elected as the first American pope and took the name Leo XIV. He has been hailed as Francis-adjacent and likely seeks to continue his predecessor’s reforms to bring the Catholic Church into the 21st century.
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