Pope Francis, Leader of Catholics Worldwide, Passes Away

Pope Francis, leader of Catholics worldwide, passed away at the age of 88.

Pope Francis, leader of Catholics worldwide, whose original name was “Jorge Mario Bergoglio” and whom some considered the “most liberal pope in history,” passed away at the age of 88 in the Vatican. He was born in December 1936 in Buenos Aires and studied chemistry and later theology, and was fluent in several living languages of the world.

The Pope joined the “Jesuit” order in 1958 and reached the rank of priest in 1969, and was then appointed as Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. He was appointed to the rank of Cardinal in 2001 by Pope “John Paul II” and in March 2013, after Pope “Benedict XVI” resigned, he was elected as Pope and chose the name “Francis” for himself.

He had lost part of one of his lungs in childhood and had been hospitalized in recent months due to “pneumonia.” The Pope believed that the theory of the Big Bang, as the origin of creation, was not contradictory to religious teachings. He said in this regard: “God should not be seen as a magician with a magic wand capable of doing anything.” He also considered Satan more intelligent than humans.

Pope Francis passed away after the celebration of Easter, and many churches in different countries rang their church bells in his honor. In Argentina, which was his birthplace, seven days of public mourning were declared, in Brazil one week, and in Spain three days of public mourning were announced. Some countries also lowered their flags to half-mast in his honor and held moments of silence.

“Donald Trump,” President of the United States, wrote in a post on the social network “Truth”: “May your soul rest in peace! May God’s mercy be upon him and all those who loved him.”

“Joe Biden,” the former President, also said about him: “He was unlike any of his predecessors, but was one of the most important leaders of our time.”

“Barack Obama” and “Michelle Obama” also said while honoring his memory: “The Pope was a rare leader who made us want to be better people. He freed us from our pride and arrogance.”

Now the Roman Catholic Church must select a new leader. All Popes are traditionally elected in a completely confidential process whose antiquity dates back to the Middle Ages.