Pope Francis passes away at 88, on Easter Monday

After a battle of health issues, Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died Monday, April 21, at age 88 after more than a decade at the helm of the Roman Catholic Church. The Argentine‑born pontif succeeded Pope Benedict XVI, who stunned the world by resigning on Feb. 11, 2013. Francis will be remembered not only for his background and pastoral style but also for the reforms he pushed to bring the Church into the 21st century. He was the first pope from Argentina, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first non‑European to sit on the Throne of St. Peter since Gregory III, who . . .