Everything to know about Pope Francis as foremost Christian leader dies at 88

Pope Francis has died, the Vatican has announced in a video statement on Monday, April 21, 2025The first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church died at the age of 88, according to Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement published by the VaticanPope Francis’ death comes 24 hours after a brief appearance before thousands of Catholic pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Vatican’s open-air Easter Sunday mass Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering religion.

Rome, Italy – Pope Francis has died, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced on Monday, April 21, 2025.

Legit.ng highlights 10 things to know about the late Christian leader, per Catholic publication Dominus Est.

Pope Francis dies on Easter Monday, 2025, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announces in a statement.
Photo credits: Joseph Odey
Source: FacebookPope Francis’ death: What to know about him1. Pope Francis refused to wear the signature red shoesAs the newly elected Pope takes the name Francis, he is also taking the noble saint’s lifestyle and spirituality: poverty and simplicity. His first words as Pope included, “How I would like a church that is poor and for the poor.” The new Pope refused the ermine-trimmed red velvet mozzetta, the gold pectoral cross and the pair of red shoes prepared for him. He kept his simple silver cross and well-worn black shoes.

2. Francis is the first Pope from the AmericasArgentine Jorge Bergoglio’s election is not just historical because of his predecessor’s resignation. But the newly elected Pope himself is noteworthy, especially as he is of many firsts. He is the first pope from the Western Hemisphere, the first from South America, the first from the Jesuit order and the first to take the name Francis.

3. Pope Francis loves TangoIn a biography of Pope Francis entitled “The Great Reformer,” Austen Ivereigh mentioned that the Pope is a great tango dancer. He even said that girls would take turns to dance with the young Jorge. In 2010, the Pope said, “Tango comes from deep within me.”

4. First Pope to refuse the Apostolic PalacePope Francis very famously declined to live in the Vatican Palace, instead opting to stay in Domus Casa Marta. He chose to live in that apartment where he stayed during the conclave. Moreover, there were days that he would take his meal at the Vatican canteen, joining the employees for their lunch break.

5. Pope Francis: He only has one lungMany were fascinated when they learned that the pope had only one lung. The Vatican confirmed that the Pope lost part of his lung during his childhood due to a respiratory infection. But experts assured that the pope was fit to take the role as the Pontiff.

6. Pope Francis used to be a bouncer at a nightclubBefore becoming a Pope, he took some odd jobs, including being a sweeper, working in a chemical job and teaching high school. But the oddest among all was being a bouncer, a doorman or someone who kicks out troublemakers out of nightclubs.

7. Pope Francis overturns tradition when it comes to womenThough the Pope would stress the difference between a man and a woman, he never fails to promote gender equality. Except for the sacrament of the priesthood, the Pope helps in empowering women by appointing them to managerial roles in the Vatican. There are now 1,165 women compared to 320 ten years ago.

Recently, he appointed three women to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, while another two to the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology and the Dicastery for Culture and Education. Most noteworthy is that in the new Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, entitled “Praedicate evangelium”, which Pope Francis promulgated on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph in 2022, he has allowed women, in fact lay women, to become heads of Dicasteries.

8. Pope Francis pops out of the VaticanThe Pope, not being mindful of his ecclesial status, would sneak out of the Vatican from time to time. Once, he left the Vatican to personally visit an optician. As expected, he drew a crowd to the area wanting to have a picture with him. Also, during the 2022 pandemic, he slipped out of the Vatican to visit a record store, buying Bach and Mozart, exposing his taste for music.

9. Pope Francis has 18 million followers on social mediaWith nine accounts in different languages, the Pope is a major player in the social media world. At the moment, his English X (Twitter) account alone has more than 18.3 million followers. On Instagram, the Pope has an impressive 9 million followers. The Pope being on social media is an affirmation of his own words that the “internet is a gift from God”, thus a tool to foster dialogue and communication between people.

10. Pope Francis allows children to approach himIn many interesting situations, children would approach the Pope during audiences without being asked to leave. Like Jesus, the Pope would say, “Let the children come to me.” He would then cite them as an example in his messages. He even asked for couples to adopt from orphanages instead of preferring pets over children, drawing mixed reactions from all over the world.

Pope Francis dies on Easter Monday, 2025, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, says in a statement.
Photo credit: Philippine Star
Source: FacebookRead more on Pope Francis:Reactions as Pope Francis dies on Easter MondayPope Francis stops using oxygen maskPope Francis’ Easter messageEarlier, Legit.ng reported that Pope Francis made a notable appearance on Easter Sunday.

The Pope, who made an appearance at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, greeted thousands of worshippers with a heartfelt “Happy Easter.”

Although the Pope appeared frail and was in a wheelchair, his presence was a moment of celebration for the gathered crowd.

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Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng