‘People's Pope' Pope Francis is no more
Pope Francis, affectionately called the People's Pope, is no more.
He became the pope in 2013 under very unusual circumstances -- Pope Benedict XVI resigned on February 28th, 2013 citing a 'lack of strength of mind and body' due to his age.
This resignation was a first by a Pope in the last 600 years. All other popes have died in office since 1415.
Pope Francis was the first-ever Latin American pope. He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Italian immigrants.
He was outspoken about his beliefs.
In his Christmas speech in 2024, he denounced the 'extremely grave' humanitarian situation in Gaza and appealed for the release of captives and a ceasefire in the war-torn coastal enclave.
'I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, particularly in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave. May there be a ceasefire, may the hostages be released and aid be given to the people worn out by hunger and by war,' he said. He also appealed for peace in Ukraine and Sudan.
His progressive attitude towards issues concerning women and the LGBT+ community marked a shift in the position of the Catholic church.
In 2023, the Vatican approved a landmark ruling to allow Roman Catholic priests to administer blessings to same-sex couples under certain conditions.
A document from the Vatican's doctrinal office approved by Pope Francis said such blessings are a 'sign that God welcomes all.'
In another instance, he replied to a question on gay priests at the Vatican by saying, 'If a person is gay and seeks the Lord and has good will, well who am I to judge them?'
He endeared the masses when he rejected wealth and by choosing to live in a Vatican guesthouse and driving around in a donated 1984 manual transmission Renault. He embraced social media and amassed over 28 million followers on Instagram and X.
He once said, 'To paint the pope as some sort of a Superman, a star, is offensive. The pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps calmly, and has friends as everyone else. A normal person.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Paraguay president's X account likely hacked in Bitcoin scheme
Paraguay's government on Monday said that President Santiago Pena's X account had likely been hacked after the leader appeared to promote trading of cryptocurrency Bitcoin. 'The president's official X account has presented irregular activity which suggests possible unauthorized entry,' the government said in a statement. A post on Pena's account in English, with a Spanish-language statement purporting to be from the government, had declared that the Latin American country had made Bitcoin legal tender and that it would roll out a $5 million Bitcoin-backed reserve fund. The government asked citizens to ignore posts from the account until official confirmation was made available. Paraguay's national cybersecurity team was working with X to investigate the situation, the government added. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Secular parties should approach minorities directly: Sebastian Paul
Veteran politician Sebastian Paul on Monday (June 9) said it was high time the Communist parties in Kerala reached out to the Christian community without the mediation of the community-based political organisations. He was speaking at a seminar on 'Religions and Political Parties', held as part of the second anniversary celebrations of Deshiya Manavika Vedi in Kozhikode. Mr. Paul urged Communist parties to come up with an action plan to create political awareness among the members of the community rather than appease the smaller political parties that often represent the community. 'It is quite difficult to bridge the gap between followers of communism and Christianity. Communist governments across the world have often clashed with the Church, not due to religious reasons, but due to financial and political factors,' he said. He added that the core values advocated by Jesus Christ and Karl Marx were strikingly similar, as both stood for the oppressed and marginalised. 'However, the Church later transformed into a protector of vested interests, owning large tracts of property, while communism advocated for equitable distribution of resources among the public,' Paul said. Filmmaker P.T. Kunhumuhammed, who presided over the seminar, pointed out the lack of influence of political organisations that claim to represent the Muslim population of the State. He shared Mr. Sebastian Paul's opinion that the major political parties should establish a direct line of contact with the minority communities. Social critic KEN Kunjahammed, MES president Fazal Gafoor, and writer Khadeeja Mumtaz also participated in the session. Writer K. Satchidanandan joined the discussions virtually.
India Gazette
12 hours ago
- India Gazette
Amjad Ayub Mirza exposes systemic persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan
London [UK], June 9 (ANI): Amjad Ayub Mirza, a leading activist from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), has delivered a scathing analysis of the Voice of Minority in Pakistan's May 2025 report, which highlights the deteriorating situation of religious minorities in Pakistan, particularly Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, and Ahmadis, under the country's majoritarian framework. Mirza accused Pakistan of cultivating a culture of impunity in which Muslims, protected by blasphemy laws, supposedly have a 'licence to kill.' Citing Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code, he emphasised how simple accusations of blasphemy can result in arrests, lynchings, or even capital punishment, as seen most infamously in the cases of Asiya Bibi and the assassinations of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Christian minister Shahbaz Bhatti. According to the report, at least 43 cases of religious persecution occurred in May 2025 alone, including deliberate violence against Hindus in Sindh's Mirpur Khas and against Christian women in Lahore. Notably, six attacks on the Ahmadiyya community were reported in districts including Kasur, Sialkot, and Lahore, with several reportedly carried out by bar associations, Tehreek-e-Labbaik, and police officers. Mirza described how young minority girls, some as young as 12, are abducted and forced to convert to Islam. He also quoted the Sindh Assembly, where MPA Faisal verified reports of Hindus being compelled to eat beef, which is profoundly repugnant to their religious views. These reported actions frequently coincide with religious festivals, such as Bakra Eid. Beyond physical violence, minorities are systematically excluded from civil services, education, and political participation. Many are relegated to low-paying jobs like sanitation work and live in neglected neighbourhoods lacking basic utilities. Temples, churches, and gurdwaras are frequently vandalised or illegally occupied, while media outlets ignore or suppress reports of festivals like Diwali or Christmas. Mirza concluded that the persecution of minorities in Pakistan is not incidental, but embedded in the ideological foundation of the state. 'Being a Christian or a Hindu in Pakistan is treated like a crime,' he said. (ANI)
