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Key moments in the life of Pope Francis

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Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he became the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the office. (Photo: Getty Images)

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POPE FRANCIS, who has died at the age of 88, led the Catholic Church through a period of reform, challenge, and global engagement.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he became the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the office.


This timeline highlights some of the major events in his life and ministry.

  • December 17, 1936 – Jorge Mario Bergoglio is born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the son of Italian immigrants.
  •  December 13, 1969 – Ordained a priest.
  •  July 31, 1973 – Becomes head of the Jesuits in Argentina.
  •  May 20, 1992 – Appointed Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires.
  •  February 28, 1998 – Appointed Archbishop, Primate of Argentina. He is known for commuting to work by public transport, not living in the archbishop’s palace and cooking his own meals.
  •  February 21, 2001 – Appointed a cardinal by Pope John Paul II.
  •  April 19, 2005 – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected pope after four ballots, taking the name Benedict. Subsequent leaks show that Bergoglio came second in all the secret ballots.
  •  March 13, 2013 – Bergoglio is elected pope following the resignation of Pope Benedict. He takes the name Francis and becomes the first non-European pope in 1,300 years.
  •  July 8, 2013 – Makes his first pastoral trip outside Rome to the Italian island of Lampedusa and speaks against the "globalisation of indifference" to the plight of migrants.
  •  July 29, 2013 – In a news conference onboard the papal plane, Francis says: "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?"
  •  November 26, 2013 – Issues a major apostolic exhortation calling for deep renewal of the Church.
  •  February 24, 2014 – Creates a new Vatican body to coordinate economic and administrative affairs.
  •  May 24–26, 2014 – Visits the Holy Land. Lays a wreath at the tomb of the founder of modern Zionism and prays in front of the Israeli security wall.
  •  June 18, 2015 – Releases encyclical “Laudato Si” focused on environmental concerns.
  •  April 8, 2016 – Publishes a document urging priests to be more accepting of divorced or remarried Catholics, single parents and LGBT people, while rejecting same-sex marriage.
  •  June 26, 2016 – Says Christians owe apologies to LGBT people and others harmed by the Church.
  •  November 2, 2016 – Tells reporters the Catholic ban on female priests is forever.
  •  January 2, 2017 – Says bishops must show zero tolerance to clergy who abuse children and asks forgiveness for the harm done.
  •  June 28, 2017 – Cardinal George Pell is charged in Australia with sex crimes. He is convicted in 2018, acquitted on appeal in 2020.
  •  July 1, 2017 – Francis replaces the Church’s top theologian in a significant leadership change.
  •  January 30, 2018 – Sends top sexual abuse expert to Chile. In April, admits "grave mistakes" in handling the crisis and asks for forgiveness.
  •  May 18, 2018 – All Chile's bishops offer to resign after a crisis meeting with the pope. Many resignations are accepted over time.
  •  July 28, 2018 – Accepts the resignation of U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. In February 2019, Francis expels him from the priesthood after a finding of sexual abuse.
  •  August 25–26, 2018 – Visits Ireland. Apologises for Church failures in handling clerical abuse.
  •  August 26, 2018 – Former Vatican official Archbishop Vigano accuses the pope of covering up abuse claims. The Vatican later accuses Vigano of calumny.
  •  September 22, 2018 – Vatican signs an agreement with China on bishop appointments. Critics say it concedes too much to Beijing.
  •  February 21, 2019 – Opens global meeting on clerical abuse. Calls for “concrete and efficient measures”.
  •  April 19, 2019 – Meets South Sudan’s leaders and kisses their feet, urging peace.
  •  May 24, 2019 – Appoints women to a key Vatican department. Over following years, more women are appointed to senior posts.
  •  June 2, 2019 – Asks forgiveness in Romania for the mistreatment of Roma people.
  •  February 12, 2020 – Rejects proposal to allow married priests in Amazon regions.
  •  March 7, 2020 – Cancels regular public appearances due to COVID-19. On March 27, holds a solitary prayer service at St. Peter’s Square.
  •  September 24, 2020 – Fires Cardinal Becciu over alleged embezzlement. Becciu is convicted in 2023.
  •  November 5, 2020 – Changes oversight of Vatican funds following a London property scandal.
  •  December 31, 2020 – Misses services due to sciatica flare-up.
  •  January 11, 2021 – Allows women to serve as readers, altar servers and communion distributors.
  •  January 21, 2021 – Former Vatican bank head convicted of embezzlement and money laundering.
  •  March 5, 2021 – Becomes first pope to visit Iraq.
  •  July 4, 2021 – Undergoes colon surgery, remains in hospital for 11 days.
  •  July 16, 2021 – Restricts use of Latin Mass, reversing earlier allowances.
  •  October 29, 2021 – U.S. President Biden says the pope told him he was a “good Catholic” who can receive communion.
  •  February 25, 2022 – Personally visits Russian embassy over Ukraine war. Continues calls for peace and criticism of the invasion.
  •  July 24, 2022 – Starts Canada visit. Apologises for abuse at Catholic-run schools for Indigenous children.
  •  December 31, 2022 – Pope Benedict dies in Vatican monastery.
  •  January 11, 2023 – Cardinal Pell dies. It is later revealed he authored a memo criticising Francis’s papacy.
  •  March 29, 2023 – Hospitalised for a respiratory infection.
  •  June 7, 2023 – Admitted again to hospital for abdominal surgery.
  •  October 4, 2023 – Opens a bishops’ summit at the Vatican. It ends without decisions on women deacons or LGBT inclusion.
  •  November 11, 2023 – Dismisses U.S. Bishop Joseph Strickland, a vocal critic.
  •  November 28, 2023 – Evicts Cardinal Burke from Vatican apartment and revokes his salary.
  •  November 28, 2023 – Cancels COP28 trip due to lung inflammation.
  •  December 18, 2023 – Vatican announces blessing allowed for same-sex couples if not part of official liturgies.
  •  June 14, 2024 – Becomes first pope to address a G7 summit, focusing on artificial intelligence.
  •  September 2, 2024 – Begins a 12-day visit to four island nations in Southeast Asia and Oceania.
  •  September 26, 2024 – Visits Belgium and Luxembourg. Faces criticism over clerical abuse and treatment of women.
  •  October 2, 2024 – Opens second bishops’ summit in two years. Ends without major reforms.
  •  October 22, 2024 – Vatican renews agreement with China on bishop appointments.
  •  December 7, 2024 – Appears with bruise on chin from minor fall.
  •  December 24, 2024 – Opens Catholic Holy Year for 2025, running until early 2026.
  •  January 6, 2025 – Names Cardinal McElroy as Archbishop of Washington, D.C., just before President Trump’s return to office.
  •  February 6, 2025 – Vatican says pope has bronchitis but will continue duties.
  •  February 14, 2025 – Hospitalised with double pneumonia.
  •  March 23, 2025 – Discharged after 38-day hospital stay.
  •  April 20, 2025 – Appears in St. Peter’s Square on Easter in open-air popemobile. Meets U.S. Vice President JD Vance at Vatican.
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