Pope Francis has passed away at the age of 88. Francis was hospitalized for much of February and March, and his medical situation was reportedly extremely dire. He managed to survive pneumonia, get released from the hospital and he spent much of April giving photo-ops to terrible people. The poor man just met JD Vance on Easter Sunday and he must have thought “yeah, I’ve seen enough.” I feel that.
Pope Francis, who rose from modest means in Argentina to become the first Jesuit and Latin American pontiff, who clashed bitterly with traditionalists in his push for a more inclusive Roman Catholic Church, and who spoke out tirelessly for migrants, the marginalized and the health of the planet, died on Monday at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. He was 88.
The pope’s death was announced by the Vatican in a statement on X, a day after Francis appeared in his wheelchair to bless the faithful in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.
Throughout his 12-year papacy, Francis was a change agent, having inherited a Vatican in disarray in 2013 after the stunning resignation of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a standard-bearer of Roman Catholic conservatism.
Francis steadily steered the church in another direction, restocking its leadership with a diverse array of bishops who shared his pastoral, welcoming approach as he sought to open up the church. Many rank-and-file Catholics approved, believing that the church had become inward-looking and distant from ordinary people.
Francis reached out to migrants, the poor and the destitute, to victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy members, and to alienated gay Catholics. He traveled to often-forgotten and far-flung countries and sought to improve relations with an antagonistic Chinese government, Muslim clerics and leaders from across the fragmented Christian world.
I was startled to realize that Francis was only pope for twelve years. It felt like a lot longer, and that’s not a diss – that’s a reflection of how well the Vatican’s PR used Francis to remake the image of the papacy. Francis was seen as a fresh start and he embraced a much more accepting and tolerant vision for the papacy, minus a couple of Italian slurs. Anyway… the conclave is going to be a mess, and my guess is that the next pope will probably be a European. Francis’s funeral is going to be especially well-attended though.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.
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- Pope Francis greets the faithful among the mobile phones that take him back during the General audience, Saint Damaso courtyard, Vatican City, ITALY-26-05-2021 Journalistic use only,Image: 612765085, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Maria Laura Antonelli/AGF Foto/Avalon
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- Pope Francis celebrates mass in the occasion of the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Rome, ITALY-01-01-2022 Journalistic use only,Image: 650498188, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Grzegorz Galazka / AGF Foto / Avalon
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- Pope Francis participates in the States General of Birth, Rome Italy 10 May 2024,Image: 871670584, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Francesco Fotia / AGF Foto / Avalon
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- Pope Francis during the weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. 22 May 2024,Image: 875403020, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Maria Laura Antonelli / AGF Foto / Avalon
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- Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square for the weekly general audience. Vatican City 29 May 2024.,Image: 877364268, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Maria Laura Antonelli / AGF Foto / Avalon
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- ITALY – POPE FRANCIS PRESIDES OVER HOLY MASS FOR THE SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD AND JUBILEE OF THE WORLD OF COMMUNICATIONS IN SAINT PETER S BSALICA AT THE VATICAN – 2025/1/26 Italy, Rome, Vatican, 2025/1/26.Pope Francis presides over Holy Mass for the Sunday of the Word of God and the Jubilee of the World of Communications in Saint Peter s Basilica, Vatican City,. EDITORIAL USE ONLY – NO BOOKS Copyright: xALESSIAxGIULIANIx,Image: 957806097, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/ALESSIA GIULIANI/Avalon/Avalon
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- **NO LIBRI** Italy, Rome,Vatican 2025/4/20 Pope Francis meeting with US Vice-President JD Vance in The Vatican .Photograph by VATICAN MEDIA / Catholic Press Photo Where: VATICAN, VATICAN When: 20 Apr 2025 Credit: IPA/INSTARimages **UK, USA AND AUSTRALIA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- **NO LIBRI** Italy, Rome,Vatican 2025/4/20 Pope Francis meeting with US Vice-President JD Vance in The Vatican .Photograph by VATICAN MEDIA / Catholic Press Photo Where: VATICAN, VATICAN When: 20 Apr 2025 Credit: IPA/INSTARimages **UK, USA AND AUSTRALIA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- **NO LIBRI** Italy, Rome,Vatican 2025/4/20 Pope Francis meeting with US Vice-President JD Vance in The Vatican .Photograph by VATICAN MEDIA / Catholic Press Photo Where: VATICAN, VATICAN When: 20 Apr 2025 Credit: IPA/INSTARimages **UK, USA AND AUSTRALIA RIGHTS ONLY**
Anyone else here remembering how QE2 died after meeting with Liz Truss, the Lettuce PM?
There is a meme already comparing the Queen/Truss meeting with the Pope/Vance …
👍I didn’t know that, but this makes total sense.
“the lettuce PM” OMG DEAD
So, are the Waleses going to step up and attend the funeral? hahaha joking, there’s no football involved so obviously not!
The Wails won’t go cause the school run remember! Plus they couldn’t be bothered to attend an Easter service for the Church that Pegs will lead.
I suspect Edward or Anne will be sent – Peggy can’t be trusted to act like a statesman. And she can’t be trusted not to turn it into a fashion show where she’s gurning for all the cameras.
If the Wailses can’t be bothered to attend one of the few things where they *should* show up, the Easter service, I don’t think they’ll go.
They usually send the Edinburgh-Wessexes to these kinds of events anyway.
I bet Chuck goes. This is going to be the most high profile funeral of his “reign” (I feel ridiculous typing that), and he’s going to want to be front and center.
Charles will attend, maybe with Anne. I don’t see Camilla getting out of bed for this.
Omg, yes totally!!
I just laughed so hard at, “I don’t see Camilla getting out of bed for this”
I don’t know, I had the same thought I got when the Queen died. The Vatican worked that man to death. He not only met JD Vance but was sent out to greet the Easter Sunday crowds. He did a lot to improve the image of the church. I hope his work continues with the next pope.
I would not diminish him by saying the Vatican worked him to death. That was who he was, until the very end. He was a servant. That was his calling, and I say this as a VERY lapsed Catholic.
Now, if you want to say that JD Vance killed the Pope, I’m on board.
Exactly. He knew time was running out. He was shoring up his legacy and his Cardinals (I was so relieved to discover this morning that he’s appointed 80% of this batch).
And also made sure to have a 2nd tier Vatican official dress down Vance before their stupid photo op. Also very lapsed here … but did love Francis.
His encyclical on the environment is one of the most beautiful environmental documents of our time (my Phd is in eco-lit). More people should read it. And if you’re not a believer, it’s an easy swap to read Gaia for God.
Pope Francis should have been elected after JPII but the cardinals at the time chose Benedict instead, which was a CHOICE.
Like you said, if Francis worked until the end, it was because that was the kind of person he was. Since he appointed so many of the cardinals who will choose his successor, I’m hoping they won’t pick someone who is a hard swing to the right again ala Benedict (though there’s a cardinal from Hungary being touted as a ‘compromise’ candidate who is covered in red flags).
I agree. He seemed like a genuinely spiritual and empathic man and the Easter appearance, as well as the Vance scolding, would have been his choices.
I’m not a Catholic, but Francis was a man who deeply cared about humanity. He will be missed.
I’m not Catholic either, but I am very sad about Pope Francis passing away. He seemed to be a man of the people. When I lived in Italy, I did get to go to Vatican City multiple times and sit in on Pope John Paul doing mass. Once at Easter. While I was never a huge fan of JPII, I’m hoping that since Francis was able to put many cardinals in place that we will continue to get a progressive church rather than going backwards.
May he rest in peace.
Please do NOT Forget he secretly me with Kim, “what’s her name” the Public Servant in AR (?) who Refused to give Gay couples marriage licenses. He wanted to give her words of encouragement – the woman who I believe had been married 3 times 🙄
That meeting was a “gotcha” arranged by a bishop who opposed Francis, and it was not planned by Francis or his people. His meeting with her was not a “secret” and his words to her were said in pastoral care–he didn’t know who she was.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/02/vatican-pope-kim-davis-same-sex-marriage
I know that the conservative media trumpeted this meeting far and wide at the time, but the fact that the Vatican put out a special message to say he did not endorse her views shows that he was set up for that meeting.
I am Catholic and queer and Francis did a lot of things to change the view of gay people in the Church–including endorsing James Martin’s Building a Bridge, which argues against isolation, judgment, and poor treatment of gay people in the church.
The dm is making a fuss over c and c visit to pope unfortunately.
That disgusting heathen Vance killed him.
My thoughts exactly. How sad one of the last things he had to do was meet with that pathetic man for a photo-op.
the little gremlin proved that hell is , indeed, here on Earth and the Holy Father knew it was time to go.
He will be greatly missed.
He will be missed. He was a great Pope.
Just woke up to the news, oh boy…everyone in my country is sad. Everyone, religious and non-religious. My mom met him on a few opportunities many years ago, back when he was still a priest in Buenos Aires and went by Jorge Bergoglio. You could often see him catching the subway. And what a day to go, of all days.
I bet his funeral and wake will rival that of JP2.
Unlikely – its being reported that it will be more simpler and scaled back affair as per his instructions/wishes. He’s also not going to be buried in the Vatican but in one of the big basilica’s in Rome, can’t remember the name.
(not trying to thread jack, just trying to provide info & context)
CBC has done a great outline of his legacy and his wishes for his funeral.:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/pope-francis-dead-1.7514706
and:
What happens when a pope dies? Inside the Vatican’s historic, symbolic rituals:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/what-happens-pope-dies-1.7467689
I think dying on Easter Monday would be seen as a blessing for anyone in this role. He did a lot of wonderful work for the church. He did have some blind spots, especially around women but he tried to make the church inclusive.
Right until the end he was committed to working as much as possible. He apparently visited a Roman prison on Holy Thursday.
I’m not Catholic and I’m also very sad. We lost a good human being today. He really advocated for a lot of marginalized people. And I’m grateful for his work ( even though he wasn’t perfect and I still disagreed with some of his positions). He had a big platform and he used it for the most part for the people.
I wonder if after his handlers dragged him out to meet Vance he was just like
“Seriously God?
I’ve had about enough of this crap.
Jorge out!”
Had that same thought too.
🤣🤣🤣 Agreed. Meeting a horrible Faux-Catholic who is fundamentally evil must have been the Pope’s Heaven-Signal to peace out.
The next pope will probably be as awful as the one prior to Francis – the former hitler youth. The Catholic Church is taking a hard right turn and I am so not on board. Even though i was a fan of Pope Francis’ progressive stance on some issues, I cannot in good conscience attend this church any longer.
Francis appointed 110 of the 138 Cardinals that will vote for the next Pope. So there’s some hope. I’m rooting for the Filipino guy. He was a close advisor to Francis and is also progressive and I think he is relatively young as far as Popes go.
Hope he supports female contraception!
@Blogger
That you even have to consider whether an old, White man who has never married and was never supposed to have sex with a woman will pass comment on contraception in 2025 is tellingly tragic.
Women across the world, Catholic or not, should rise up in unison against the pronouncements of an institution that was founded on misogyny and has carried that torch ever since. Instead, we seem to be caught up in the idea that Frankie was “The Best of the Worst”.
The head of the Catholic church is no more relevant to my life than a Tik Tok influencer or a Keebler elf, so why would I let him have a say in how I conduct myself?
@whalesnark the papacy still has a reach especially outside the West. Hard for women to protest against the patriarchy when both political and religious institutions are against your gender.
Did Pope Francis positively change anything in his home country of Argentina wrt to women’s rights? AFAIK, the Philippines still doesn’t support divorce, contraception and abortion because of the Church’s stance so if there’s a Filipino pope, would be good to highlight those issues in that country. IIRC JP2 set back women’s rights in Poland – though this clashed with the existing Soviet policies. But happy to defer to people with more knowledge in this area.
I’d like to see a North American Pope – maybe Canadian. An African Pope would most likely be conservative, as will an Italian/European Pope a la Benedict.
@Whalesnark. Recovering Catholic here. You’re not wrong. The pope who really broke the mould is the one from my youth who no one remembers. John XXIII died after just a couple of years but he was responsible for Vatican II and all the reforms. We were actually getting someplace with him then disaster struck with his successor, Paul VI. No one speaks much about John XXIII but he was massively influential in a very short time. Only us Olds remember him it seems. The church would be very different had he lived longer.
North American?
Canadian or Mexican would be cool. If someone from the USA? Only if he’s super progressive and will stand up against Trump. Otherwise, no thanks. Trump would only use him and his election as a win.
I saw a list of the possible candidates and the one from the Philippines seemed the most liberal? I’m not religious or Catholic but I’d rather not see a super conservative person become pope. I don’t have high hopes though.
Institutions generally do. He was seen as a liberal, so the Church will turn hard right. Back to Latin masses and female oppression.
What is it with cults and religious institutions always wanting to suppress women’s rights and return them to mere breeding machines?
Vatican II has been in place since 1963 and even the most conservative popes like JPII have not touched it. They are not going back to Latin mass for everyone. That is for the fetishists who don’t want regular people to understand the mass.
That said they will likely go back on lgbt issues. That said we don’t know until conclave happens. This pope wasn’t the obvious choice either.
” What is it with cults and religious institutions always wanting to suppress women’s rights and return them to mere breeding machines?”
That is not a bug or even a feature. That is its main goal and THE main reason men join churches or cults.
Kittenmom, I am hoping as Aang that the cardinals Pope Francis chose will be enough to prevent that. The far right Catholic machine that is one of the batteries behind the current chaos in the U.S. is pushing for a far right pope. That would be catastrophic.
If that happens I’ll finally make sure I’m no longer registered at the church.
I thought about it during Benedict.
I liked him. I’ll be curious to see who will be appointed and how they’ll steer things.
Quick question isn’t easter Monday the one after pallm Sunday? So Monday of last week? Genuine question, I’m a terrible catholic
Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday is a week before Easter Sunday. So he died today. Not last week.
Thanks! I knew they meant today but I’ve never heard it referred to that way. Maybe it’s different in spanish? Either way thanks for the explanation!
Palm Sunday starts the holy werk if I’m not mistaken
White Thursday when the last supper and Judas’s betrayal happened
Good Friday
And then Easter Sunday and Easter Monday
He was a good and humble man. His vow of poverty as a Jesuit kept him from getting caught up in the earthly excesses of the Vatican.
Good time to see the movie Conclave.
May he rest in eternal peace. Sad that it seems the last person he saw was so very evil.
He presented a kinder side of the Catholic church. Much like my Grandfather, a lifelong Catholic, he waited until he finished a last, important task, and then let go. Be at peace.
Raised a roman catholic but atheist now.
That said I liked Pope Francis from the start. When he wore simple white clothes, when he went on the bus with the others, when he preferred simple accomodation instead of the fancy papal apartments. When he washed the feet of muslims, refugees and prisoners. His views on Gaza.
He was not perfect but mostly practised what he preached.
I dread to think who will be next.
Oh and Conclave the movie is a great (and ofcourse dramatised) watch to see what happens now
“J D Vance killed the Pope” is the headline that should be broadcast far and wide.
It’s only fair; that’s what the deplorables would do, given the chance.
I’m glad Shady got a new one ripped before his photo op. The expression on the Pope’s face was perfection — ‘I don’t like you, I don’t like your politics, I don’t like your lies and I REALLY don’t like your president.’
Did James Donald Bowman (JD Vance’s birth name) kill the Pope? I don’t know, but we don’t have any evidence that he didn’t. Until I see proof he did not kill the Pope, I’m reserving judgement.
I’m not Catholic and not religious, but Pope Francis checked in every day with the priests and parishioners at a Catholic Church in Gaza. And he called for a ceasefire. So while I didn’t agree with everything he did, I admired how he spoke up for Palestinians. It’s notable that the NYT didn’t mention that.
Just noticed that i wrote the exact same comment. This pope was an extraordinary man. I can only hope that the next carries on his legacy and human values
Same. He was a true advocate for Palestine, even though most of its population are not followers of the religion he led.
Couldn’t agree more. He cared about the Palestinians when so many have turned their back. I hope the next pope continues that tradition. Its sad that both him and Val Kilmer died of pneumonia or the side effects of it, both dealing with it around the same time.
Thank you for sharing this. That’s really encouraging to me that he spoke up for the Palestinian plight. I’m just not hearing a lot of that from mainstream leaders.
Another unpleasent couple pushed to meet the Pope a few days ago. Charles and Camilla burst in on this poor, sick Pope on his dying feet for a photo op, while Camilla (as the ex-wife of a Catholic man, she certainly knew the drill) flouted Vatican protocol by not covering her head. Even Melania knew the rules and covered her hair during the audience with the Pope during Trump’s first presidency.
I’m no fan of the Windsors, but I am a Catholic who met the Pope to receive a sposi novelli. We were given strict instructions about protocol and attire, but I was not asked to or required to cover my hair – I was asked to cover my shoulders and knees.
All the UK royal women pre Camilla. The queen and diana both wore veils. And c and c wanted the 20th anniversary to happen and had the picture taken with the pope. Even though it was announced that he was too ill to receive visitors.
The papal funeral will be in a few days. US delegation: Vance would go because he is Catholic; Biden should be invited as a former POTUS who is Catholic. UK delegation: just announced a senior royal will go; William as heir should go, especially after being dragged for noping out of Easter service.
Who’s the most senior Catholic in that family? The Duchess of Kent still able?
They should just send the Duke of Norfolk to the Vatican if the Windsors are unwilling. Most senior English Catholic aristo and all that.
Ugh, William would be so inappropriate at a funeral like this as he obviously does not care for his future role as head of a church. They need to send someone who is at least a regular church attendee.
William has done everything but make a public announcement that he is a non-believer. Most inappropriate to send him.
William will only view it as a “global statesman” moment — if he goes, it will be because of that reason only. He’ll want to be photographed with the other attendees. And he’ll probably do or say something wildly inappropriate.
Returning to the scene of the crime.
I’m so sad, my heart is broken. No Pope will ever be like Francis. RIP
May his memory be a blessing. As popes go, he was definitely one of the good ones.
I don’t know why, but this makes me sad. May his memory be a blessing.
JD Vance is lethal.
The Grim Veeper.
🤣🤣🤣🤣😈😈😈
😂 🎯
He’s going to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Go look it up. It’s a basilica and very beautiful.
Excuse me if I don’t get too carried away:
In one of his harshest criticisms of abortion, Pope Francis has compared the procedure to “hiring a hitman to resolve a problem”.
Also said Putin was “provoked” by Ukraine.
I think he’s one of the most well liked popes we’ve had in living memory. (While I remember John Paul II, I mostly remember how sickly he was for years and just felt bad he was forced to work when he seemed to be barely holding by a thread). I remember when he came to NYC early on in his papacy in 2015, I was still living and working there at the time. I tried to go to Central Park to see his pope mobile go by, you needed tickets through a lottery system to be able to enter which I didn’t have. I saw him barely from very far away, it was just a few seconds. You would have thought it was Jesus himself, people were SO excited to see him. Obama was still president. It was such a different time!
Even in this day and age, he still believed women should die, rather than be able to get an abortion that will save their life. His views risk the lives of half the population . . . but it’s the half that doesn’t count, so I guess that’s ok? No pope will get sympathy from me until they get rid of their misogyny.
RIP
How awful that he was forced to look upon Vance’s weasel face before leaving this world. I hope he has better visions wherever he is now.
I’m not religious at all, and I’ve respected Pope Francis immensely for his humanity, his actions to help marginalized people and see their humanity, and his efforts to make a difference for the good of our planet and her peoples. He exemplified what I learned to recognize as the social gospel. I say that with no rancor at all.
Given today’s political world, I have strong feeling they’re going to go backwards with the next one.
Same. Unfortunately.
As a disenchanted Catholic, I know Francis wasn’t perfect. But he was the best pope in my lifetime (a low bar) and his advocacy for immigrants, the Palestinians and the poor was heartening. And conservatives loathed him, so I loved him for that.
Francis’ death kind of has everything : it happened on Easter of all days and there is the suspicion that meeting Vance was just too much for him and he just had to die.
Also both Trump and Vance posted the worst possible tributes as if they were trying to compete just to see who could do the worst tribute.
Vance killed the poor man. RIP to Pope Francis.
In that photo the look on the Pope’s face “How did he get in here?”