Pope Francis, Champion of the Poor, Dies

Vatican City —(Map)

Pope Francis, the world leader of the Catholic Church, passed away Monday. He was 88 years old. The pope’s death came shortly after Easter, an important holiday for Christians. Earlier this year, Pope Francis had been in the hospital with serious breathing problems, but he returned to work before his health failed again.

Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1936. As a young man, he trained to become a priest – a religious leader in the Catholic Church. He joined a group called the Jesuits, who are known for their hard work and education. He worked for many years as a teacher.

Pope Francis became known for his simple way of life and his work helping poor people. Over time, he held higher and higher positions in the Catholic Church. Before becoming pope, he spent several years as an archbishop and then a cardinal in Argentina, leading Catholics there.

In 2013, people around the world were surprised when Pope Benedict stepped down. That had not happened in hundreds of years.

But it was also a big surprise when 76-year-old Cardinal Bergoglio was chosen as pope. For more than 1,000 years, all of the people chosen to become pope have come from Europe. Cardinal Bergoglio was the first pope to come from South America.

When a new pope is chosen, the person picks a new name. Cardinal Bergoglio chose the name “Francis” after Saint Francis of Assisi, a man known for helping poor people and caring for nature.

It was a surprise when 76-year-old Cardinal Bergoglio was chosen as pope. He was the first pope to come from South America. Cardinal Bergoglio chose the name “Francis” after Saint Francis of Assisi, a man known for helping poor people. Above, Pope Francis waves to the crowd after becoming pope in 2013.

Pope Francis quickly became known as a different kind of pope. He was known for speaking plainly and honestly about difficult issues. Some of his ideas were new, and surprised many people. He encouraged Catholics to be more forgiving and understanding. He worked to include people of different backgrounds in the church.

As pope, he often spoke about helping those who are poor and forgotten. He traveled widely, visiting countries of all different sizes all around the world. He spent time with poor people and with refugees.

Pope Francis often spoke about helping those who are poor and forgotten. He traveled widely, visiting countries of all different sizes all around the world. Above, Pope Francis greets people in Ecuador during a trip to the country in 2015.

In his travels, Pope Francis worked hard to bring people of different religions together. And he worked to encourage peace in areas where there was fighting. He also talked a lot about taking care of the Earth.

Pope Francis was famous for his simple lifestyle. Unlike many popes before him, he chose not to live in a large palace, and often ate meals with ordinary people. Pope Francis believed the church should be open to everyone.

Pope Francis was famous for his simple lifestyle. Unlike many popes before him, he chose not to live in a large palace, and often ate meals with ordinary people. Pope Francis believed the church should be open to everyone. Above, Pope Francis greets people after an Easter service on Sunday, the day before he passed away.

During his time as pope, the Catholic Church faced difficult problems. The church was accused of hiding things it had done wrong in the past. Pope Francis worked hard to make changes so that these things would not happen again.

Pope Francis led the Catholic Church for over twelve years. Millions of Catholics around the world will mourn his death, but they will also remember him as a kind and caring leader who tried to make the world a better place. A special service will be held in Rome, Italy to honor Pope Francis before he is buried.

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Did You Know…?
Now that Pope Francis has died, Catholic leaders will choose a new pope. A group of cardinals – important leaders in the Catholic Church – will meet privately in the Sistine Chapel in Rome. They will pray, and discuss who should be the next leader of the Catholic Church. When they reach a decision, they will release white smoke from the chimney of the chapel. That signal will tell the world a new pope has been chosen.

(Front page image source: Conferencia Episcopal Española [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.)