Pope Francis, the first pope from the Americas, has passed away following a months-long battle with bronchitis and pneumonia this year. The Vatican announced his passing just one day after he toured St. Peter’s Square for the first time since his illness and delivered the Easter Urbi et Orbi blessing (to the city and the world). In a separate announcement, the Vatican released a report from Professor Andrea Arcangeli stating the pope’s direct causes of death as stroke, coma, and “irreversible cardiovascular collapse.”
Italian President Sergio Mattarella said it was the pope’s final goodbye to the world. “One thought stands out over everything — what he decided to do yesterday — on Easter, with his blessing to the world and his tour of the square among the faithful, with his final reminder of the principle of humanity as the criterion of conduct for each person,” Mattarella said. “Today it appears as a greeting to the church, to women and men around the world.”
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, he was named pope in 2013, and from the beginning, made it clear that his papacy would emphasize caring for all people, urging Catholics to show love, live the Gospel, and protect and defend all human life. He frequently spoke against the current “throwaway” culture of the world, with euthanasia and abortion being particular examples. He repeatedly argued against surrogacy, assisted suicide, and abortion, and often put actions behind his call to protect life.
In 2017, he convinced Consuela Cordoba, the victim of an acid attack which left her disabled and disfigured, not to undergo assisted suicide. When he arrived in Colombia for a visit, Cordoba met with him and asked him to bless her decision to undergo euthanasia, which he refused. Instead, he told her she was brave and beautiful — and that he would pay for her to have the surgery she needed to treat a brain infection, which had been the reason behind her desire for euthanasia.
“Dr. Gustavo Quinonez was going to give me the injection, but I’m not going to do it because God is going to bring greatness to my life. So that I do not die, they will donate for the surgery that I need, which will cost several million pesos,” she said.
A portrait of the late Pope Francis is seen during a mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral in San Jose on April 21, 2025. Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025 aged 88, a day after making a much hoped-for appearance at Saint Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, the Vatican said in a statement. (Photo by Ezequiel BECERRA / AFP) (Photo by EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP via Getty Images)
Another woman, named Anna, was considering abortion. She had recently been divorced, and had an affair with a married man, which left her pregnant. She then lost her job and moved to Rome to get away. The father of her baby refused to accept the paternity of her child and pressured her to have an abortion. Anna made the appointment to get the abortion, but also wrote a letter detailing her plight — then sent it to Pope Francis.
After just a few days, Anna’s phone rang… and it was a personal phone call from Pope Francis. He urged her to never lose her hope and reminded her that a child is a gift from God. He also said he would personally baptize her baby after the birth. Because of this, Anna found the strength to refuse the abortion. “His words filled my heart with joy,” she said. “He told me that I had been very courageous and strong for my baby.”
Pope Francis also publicly fought for the lives of children at risk of being removed from life support in the United Kingdom. He opened the door to both Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans to allow them treatment Rome’s Bambino Gesù children’s hospital, which the Vatican owns. He spoke about their right to life numerous times. Sadly, in those instances, the British government refused to let the families take their children out of the country to continue treatment. Both boys died.
Throughout his papacy, Francis spoke against abortion as the sacrifice of children on the altar of profit; he likened it to hiring a hitman. In 2023, he participated in a Hulu special in which he defended life to a group of young abortion activists, remaining patient, compassionate, and understanding in the conversation, yet steadfast in his pro-life principles.
ISTANBUL, TURKIYE – APRIL 21: Catholics in Istanbul gather at Church of St. Mary Draperis to commemorate Pope Francis following his death, in Istanbul, Turkiye on April 21, 2025. Pope Francis died at age 88 after suffering a prolonged illness, the Vatican announced on Monday. (Photo by Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The problem of abortion should be addressed scientifically,” he said. “Any embryology book shows us that a month after conception, the DNA is aligned, and all the organs are drawn. It is therefore not just a bunch of cells put together, but a systematized human life. So, the question that should be submitted when talking about the morality of this is: ‘Is it valid to eliminate a human life to solve a problem?’ You’d go to a doctor. So, is it valid to pay a hitman to eliminate a human life to solve a problem?”
In his final message to the world, released on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis reiterated the value of life and prayed for peace throughout the world. “Christ is risen! These words capture the whole meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life,” he said, in part. “Easter is the celebration of life! God created us for life and wants the human family to rise again! In his eyes, every life is precious! The life of a child in the mother’s womb, as well as the lives of the elderly and the sick, who in more and more countries are looked upon as people to be discarded.”
