By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu
The Vatican shocked the world when it issued the statement that Pope Francis had died, aged 88, at 7:35AM on Easter Monday.
Pope Fancis, a native of Argentina, was the first Latin American to serve as the head of the Catholic Church.
The ailing Pope had he made a surprise visit on Holy Thursday to Regina Coeli Prison in Rome, where he greeted inmates.
On Easter Saturday, he stopped unannounced to pray and greet some of the faithful at St Peters Basilica.
The final public appearance of the Pope took place on Easter Sunday when he was welcomed at St Peter’s Square by crowds, and he then wished the people a happy Easter.
Incidentally, that same day he met US Vice-President JD Vance, who told the Pope: I pray for you everyday.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, the Pontiff was the eldest of five children.
His parents had fled their native Italy to escape the evils of Mussolini fascism, and settled in Argentina.
A precocious child, he enjoyed tango dancing and became an avid supporter of his local football club, San Lorenzo.
He suffered an almost fatal attack of pneumonia in childhood, and had to undergo an operation to remove part of his lungs.
This made him to be susceptible to infection throughout his chequered life.
It is noteworthy that the future Pope worked as a nightclub bouncer and floor sweeper before eventually graduating as a chemist.
He worked closely at a local factory with Esther Ballestrino, the formidable lady who led a campaign against the military dictatorship in his native Argentina.
Tragically, Esther Ballestrino died from the torture she received, and her body was never found.
The young Jorge Mario Bergoglio became a Jesuit, having studied philosophy, and taught literature and psychology.
When he got ordained a decade later, he won swift promotion, becoming the Catholic Church’s provincial superior for Argentina in 1973.
As Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina, he was already in his seventies when he was elected Pope in 2013.
The papacy of Pope Francis heralded many firsts in the universal church, not the least of which was his benediction of poverty, whence the sobriquet of The Poor Pontiff of the title.
He remained popular among the Catholic Church’s traditionalists and conservatives even as he never stopped introducing reforms to the Church.
He had the honour of being the first Pope to come from the Americas, or from the southern hemisphere.
Not since the Syrian-born Gregory III died in 741 had there been a non-European Bishop of Rome.
Pope Francis was also the first Jesuit to be elected to the throne of St Peter, given that Jesuits were historically looked on with suspicion by Rome.
The predecessor of Pope Francis, Benedict XVI, was the first Pope to retire voluntarily in almost 600 years, and for almost a decade the Vatican Gardens hosted two Popes.
When the shocking news of the death of Pope Francis was released on Easter Monday, tributes flowed in from all over the world.
The embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paid his tribute to Pope Francis thusly: “He knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity. We grieve together with Catholics and all Christians who looked to Pope Francis for spiritual support. Eternal memory!”
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of His Holiness Pope Francis. His tireless efforts to promote a world that is fairer for all will leave a lasting legacy. His leadership in a complex and challenging time for the world and the Church was courageous, yet always came from a place of deep humility. He was a Pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten.”
King Charles issued a moving release: “My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis. Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry. His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others. His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world.”
The White House put out this message: “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated: “He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate.”
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was deeply pained while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described Pope Francis as a good, warm and sensitive man.
For Egypt’s President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, Pope Francis was a voice of peace, love and compassion.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hailed Pope Francis with these words: “I mourn the passing of Pope Francis. His commitment to peace, social justice, and the most vulnerable leaves a profound legacy.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made the revelation: “I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship. He asked the world, once again, for the courage to change direction, to follow a path that does not destroy, but cultivates, repairs, protects. His teaching and his legacy will not be lost. We greet the Holy Father with hearts full of sadness, but we know that he is now in the peace of the Lord.”
Incidentally, the Easter Sunday message of Pope Francis was one of peace and respect for the views of others.
True to his character, the traditionally elaborate papal funeral was recently simplified by Pope Francis to make the procedure less complex.
The previous Popes were buried in three nested coffins made of cypress, lead and oak, but Pope Francis opted for a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc.
The Poor Pontiff also scrapped the tradition of placing the Pope’s body on a raised platform – known as a catafalque – in St Peter’s Basilica for public viewing.
Instead, mourners would be invited to pay their respects while his body remains inside the coffin, with the lid removed.
Pope Francis will be the first Pontiff in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican as he will be laid to rest in the Basilica of St Mary Major, one of four major papal basilicas in Rome.
