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Pope Frances, 88, Dies Following Lengthy Illness

Charlie Kirk Staff

04/21/2025

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Pope Frances, 88, Dies Following Lengthy Illness

Pope Francis, a charismatic and controversial leader, passed away on Monday morning, the day after Easter. He was 88 years old.

“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber announced Monday.

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized,” Ferrell added.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis was elected in March 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI—the first pope to step down since Gregory XII in 1415. As the first Latin American pontiff, Francis has often taken a progressive stance during his papacy.

He recently made headlines for criticizing Vice President J.D. Vance, a fellow Catholic, and the Trump administration’s “program of mass deportations.”

During his papacy, Pope Francis implemented several notable reforms, including appointing women to roles traditionally held by men and elevating cardinals from countries that had never before been represented in the College of Cardinals. However, he faced criticism from some for not excommunicating clergy involved in sexual abuse scandals.

In 2013, six months after his election as pope, he said that the church had grown “obsessed” with abortion, gay marriage and contraception, stating, “It is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time. The dogmatic and moral teachings of the church are not all equivalent. The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently.”

In 2017, Pope Francis amended the Code of Canon Law to grant bishops greater authority over the translation of Latin liturgical texts.

As pope, Francis championed immigrants, even those who crossed into countries illegally. In 2016 he criticized Donald Trump, saying he was “not Christian” because he wanted to build walls instead of bridges.

“For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful. I am proud to be a Christian,” Trump replied.

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Charlie Kirk is the Founder and President of Turning Point USA, a national student movement dedicated to empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government.

Charlie is also the host of “The Charlie Kirk Show” podcast, which regularly ranks among the top-10 news shows on Apple podcast news charts, and is the host of the nationally syndicated daily radio show on the Salem Radio Network live from 12 - 3 PM ET.
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