21-04-2025
What Is Pope Francis Known For?
was beloved worldwide, and not just among the Catholic faithful.
The "People's Pope" — who died on on Monday, April 21 — was named TIMEPerson of the Year in 2013 and became the first pope to spawn several viral moments for his sense of humor, humility and easy relatability with elderly individuals, children and people experiencing homelessness alike, despite his own rockstar popularity.
Though Pope Francis famously wrote of love and mercy, what he may have inspired most was a sense of hope — and, as he told60 Minutesin December 2024, that was his ultimate goal, especially as a pontiff who served in a time of massive global and civil unrest.
"You see tragedies, but you also see so many beautiful things," he said. "You see heroic mothers, heroic men, men who have hopes and dreams, women who look to the future? That gives me a lot of hope. People want to live. People forge ahead. And people are fundamentally GOOD. We are all fundamentally good. Sometimes we are a little mischievous, sinners, but the heart is good."
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Born and raised by Italian immigrants in Argentina, Pope Francis — born Jorge Mario Bergoglio — was the first pope ever to be from the Americas.
Perhaps an even bigger deal, Pope Francis was the first Jesuit pontiff. The Jesuits, nicknamed "God's Marines," are typically trained not to seek high office within the Catholic Church. That lack of desire for power, however, is likely at least part of what got Pope Francis elected in the first place, as Cardinals aren't supposed to actually campaign for the role.
He was also the first pope to choose "Francis" as his papal name, eliciting a huge sigh of relief from anyone who's ever struggled with Roman numerals.
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Pope Francis was best known for being a more down-to-earth pontiff than his predecessors. He opted for a small Vatican guest house instead of a palace when he was elected pope.
This is consistent down to his funeral plans: Unlike prior popes, Pope Francis requested not to be buried in three different caskets, but instead just one. Monsignor Diego Ravelli, the Vatican's master of liturgical ceremonies, told the Associated Press that this specific choice was a deliberate one in an effort "to emphasize even more that the Roman Pontiff's funeral is that of a shepherd and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful man of this world."
There's a reason he was nicknamed "The People's Pope." He's warm, engaging and friendly — andhas a silly side, too.
Awash with scandals that predated his papacy, the Vatican bank was a mess. In less than a year of Pope Francis' papacy, he ordered an independent audit, cut overspending on Vatican staff and supervisory cardinals and had the Vatican bank file its first-ever annual report in its then-125-year history.
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You know the sweet popemobiles of yore? And how Pope John Paul IIhad a Ferrari? Yeah, not Pope Francis' style. When gifted a Lamborghini Huracan, Pope Francis auctioned it off for charity. (Same with a Harley Davidson in 2014, though, honestly, how dope would he have looked riding one?)
He explained toAmericamagazine that part of why he lived humbly is to reflect the times we're living in — and also because, well, it wasn't like he was going to try to pick up chicks in his hot new whip.
"Discernment is always done in the presence of the Lord, looking at the signs, listening to the things that happen, the feeling of the people, especially the poor," Pope Francis said. "My choices, including those related to the day-to-day aspects of life, like the use of a modest car, are related to a spiritual discernment that responds to a need that arises from looking at things, at people and from reading the signs of the times. Discernment in the Lord guides me in my way of governing."
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Remember what we mentioned about Pope Francis' cars? He had a swanky Mercedes-Benz G-Class popemobile that's fully electric with zero emissions. That's just the tip of the iceberg when it came to his passion for environmentalism.
In May 2015, Pope Francis penned a letter, Laudato Si, decrying exploitation of the planet for fossil fuels, pollution and harming biodiversity. In the missive, he explained that his love for the environment and animals contributed to his choice of papal name, a tribute to St. Francis of Assisi (the patron saint of animals).
"Francis helps us to see that an integral ecology calls for openness to categories which transcend the language of mathematics and biology, and take us to the heart of what it is to be human. Just as happens when we fall in love with someone, whenever he would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of animals, he burst into song, drawing all other creatures into his praise," Pope Francis wrote in part. "He communed with all creation, even preaching to the flowers, inviting them 'to praise the Lord, just as if they were endowed with reason.' His response to the world around him was so much more than intellectual appreciation or economic calculus, for to him each and every creature was a sister united to him by bonds of affection. That is why he felt called to care for all that exists."
He studied chemistry in addition to philosophy and theology. Before entering seminary school, Pope Francis worked as a chemistry lab assistant, literature teacher, janitor and nightclub bouncer.
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Calling out everything from imperialism to corporate greed, Pope Francis took on the plight of the fight against structural poverty.
He once fumed in a public letter, 'How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? ... Some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world. This opinion has never been confirmed by the facts.'
Pope Francis also called out deportations, noting that immigrants and refugees shouldn't be treated as criminals and instead as human beings with dignity.
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In 2018, Pope Francis appointed the first three women (who were also laypeople!) as consultors to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He pretty consistently hired women to high-level Vatican positions throughout his pontificate, including appointing a nun as President of Vatican City.
Let's be honest, that bar was and is quite low, but still — Pope Francis' approach to LGBTQ+ people was groundbreaking for the Catholic Church.
When asked about gay priests early in his papacy, Pope Francis famously replied, "If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them? They shouldn't be marginalized. The tendency [same-sex attraction] is not the problem... they're our brothers."
Pope Francis also urged parents to stand by the LGBTQ+ children instead of abandoning them and encouraged the blessing of same-sex couples.
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Pope Francis made waves with his foot-washing ceremonies: He's washed the feet of migrants,prisoners (including women) and non-Christians, all of which were firsts at the time.
Pope Francis publicly called for an end to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, seemingly eons before most world leaders did the same.
It's official, even though, honestly? Most of us knew this already.
Pope Francis focused on joy in his first public letter, Evangelii Gaudium (which translates to "The Joy of the Gospel"). In his first Palm Sunday address, Pope Francis urged his followers to never be "men and women of sadness [because] a Christian can never be sad," later joking that they should avoid being "sourpusses."
