It’s time to Break It Down!

Jorge Mario Bergoglio died Monday. If that were the headline of any newspaper anywhere in the world, two dqys ago, very few people would have batted an eye. Instead, the worldwide headline was, Pope Francis (aka Jorge Mario Bergoglio), born December 17,1936, died April 21, 2025. The Pope, as you know, is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, 

A papal conclave elected Bergoglio as the successor to Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned February 28, 2013. He became the 266^th Pope on March 13, 2013, and served for 12 years, until his death, Monday. From a long line of Popes, Pope Francis held several firsts. He was the first pope from the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit Order), the first Latin American, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first born or raised outside of Europe since the 8^th century, when Pope Gregory III was born in Syria. 

Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After recovering from a severe illness, while in his 20’s, he was inspired to join the Jesuits. He was ordained as a Catholic Priest in 1969. From 1973 to 1979, he was the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina. He was elevated to archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and became a cardinal in 2001.

Bergoglio chose Francis as his papal name, in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. In the entirety of his public life Francis was noted for his humility, his emphasis on God’s mercy, his international visibility as pope, his concern for the poor, and his commitment to interreligious dialogue. 

He was known for having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors. For example, he chose to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae (House of St. Martha) guest house, rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by previous popes. Francis made women full members of dicasteries in the Roman Curia. He asserted that the Catholic Church should be more sympathetic toward the LGBTQ community and stated that although blessings of same-sex unions are not permitted, LGBTQ individuals can be blessed, if blessings are not given in a liturgical context. Francis was a critic of trickle-down economics, consumerism, and overdevelopment. He made action on climate change a major focus of his papacy, he viewed the death penalty as inadmissible in all cases and committed the Catholic Church to its worldwide abolition. Pope Francis criticized right-wing populism, supported decriminalization of homosexuality, condemned Israel’s military action in Gaza, and opposed anti-immigration politics, including those of Donald Trump.

After making what became his last public appearance on Resurrection Sunday, an element of synchronicity emerged, as the Bishop of Rome died the following day, Easter Monday, following a stroke, and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse, It was as though, in the words of Timothy, Francis said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” “Pontiff Slips The Mortal Coil: A Timely Transition!”

I’m done; holla back!

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Pontiff Slips The Mortal Coil: A Timely Transition