Midwest Mary

You may be wondering why, with so many dire concerns in the world today, Pope Francis’ health is a leading news story. Please give me a moment to briefly tell you the significance of this man.

To begin with, the pope is the head of the Catholic Church which consists of nearly 1.39 billion baptized Catholics in the world. He is also the sovereign of the Vatican City State.

In addition, Pope Francis is a noted first on several levels. He is the first Jesuit pope. (The first pope from the Society of Jesus). He is the first pope from the Americas, the Southern Hemisphere, and from outside Europe since the 8th century. He also has a long list of achievements.

Pope Francis was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Italian immigrant parents and named Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus in 1958 and was ordained a priest in 1969. He is well-educated with a doctorate in chemistry.

In 1992 Father Bergoglio was consecrated an auxiliary bishop of the Buenos Aires archdiocese. He became the archdiocese’s coadjutor archbishop in 1997. St. John Paul II named Archbishop Bergoglio a cardinal in 2001.

After the unusual resignation of Benedict XVI, Archbishop Bergoglio was elected as the 266^th pope in 2013. He was 76 years of age and took the name Francis.

Pope Francis is sensitive to the needs of marginal people. He is critical of what he calls the “globalization of indifference,” particularly the sufferings of the poor, migrants, and refugees.

Known for his iconic smile and humility, Pope Francis has traveled extensively to reach his flock. In the first seven years of his pontificate, he visited more than 45 countries. His travels have included the Holy Land, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cuba, the U.S. Mexico, Greece, Poland, Sweden, Egypt, Burma, Bangladesh, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, Romania, Bulgaria, Thailand, Japan, Morocco, and countries in Africa, South America, and Latin America.

Among his many accomplishments, he issued the encyclical Laudato si (Praise Be to You) to address climate change and environmental protection, apologized to survivors of clergy sexual abuse, and promoted unity between Christians and non-Christians as well as diversity through his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Guadium (the Joy of the Gospel) which called on the church to embrace global diversity.

Additionally, he wrote reforms in the Catholic Church, created the policy, “Vos estis lux mundi,” on sexual abuse allegations against bishops, and held the 2018 Youth Synod, 2019 Synod on the Amazon, and Synods of Bishops on the Family. He also canonized several saints, including Pope John Paul II, John XXIII, and Paul VI. 

Pope Francis ended theologians being silenced by the Vatican Congregation for Doctrine and the Faith for voicing concerns about morality, liberation theology, and interreligious dialogue in Asia. He moved to reform the governance structure of the Church, as well.

A modern pope, Francis began livestreaming and televising his weekly events including daily Mass beginning in 2020. He also has strived to consolidate several dicasteries, established new offices, and modernized Vatican financial practices.

He says that our first words of evangelization must be about compassion and mercy of God rather than dogmas and rules. He promotes the message of the Gospel and our responsibility to love one another.

A few surprising facts about this fascinating pope include that before his priesthood, he was a bouncer at a bar in Buenos Aires to help pay for his graduate degree, hasn’t watched television since 1990, was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year, and part of his right lung was removed after suffering with severe pneumonia when he was 21.

As a member of the Catholic Church, I ask that you pray for God’s comfort for this compassionate, humble yet influential man.

©Mary K. Doyle, 2025