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May 18, 2025
On April 21, 2025, Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, had his 12 year reign come to an end. His death started a ceremonial nine-day Catholic mourning period of the Pope. With millions shocked by his death, the anticipation and tension of a new pope being picked created a tense three and a half week long suspense.
Pope Francis, originally Jorge Bergolio, was born on December 17, 1936, in Argentina to an Italian family. In 1969, after finishing his studies and joining the Jesuit, he was ordained a Catholic Priest. 29 years later in 1998, he became the archbishop of Buenos Aires. Pope John Paul II turned Francis into a cardinal in 2001, leading him to become the successor of Pope Benedict XVI just 12 years later. Francis was the first of many when it came to being the Pope. He was the first to be a Jesuit, to be from Latin America, and the first raised outside Europe since the reign of Pope Gregory III, a Syrian elected in the eighth century.
Pope Leo XIV on the ceremonial balcony after his conclave (Credit: Houston Style Magazine)
Francis’ funeral took place five days after his death, April 26, 2025. 133 Cardinal electors, the biggest college in history, picked and arrived in Rome on May 7, the start of the conclave to elect Francis’ successor. After two unsuccessful days ending with black smoke, no new Pope had been picked. On May 9, just after noon, hundreds of millions of people watched as white smoke billowed out of the chimney of St. Peter's Basilica, officially declaring a new Pope had been chosen.
Stepping out onto the balcony of St. Peters was 69 year old Cardinal Robert Prevost, an American born Catholic who immigrated from Chicago to Peru, and has lived there for over 10 years. During the conclave, he was elected and had his title changed to Pope Leo XIV. He is the first Pope to be an American, from the Order of Saint Augustine, and to be a Peruvian citizen.
Echoing the words of late Pope Francis, Leo’s first few words delivered as the new Pope were, “Peace be with you.” He spoke not only in Italian, but Spanish and English as well. This was used to furthermore bring the entirety of the Catholic church and its followers together.
Sources: CBC News, CNN News
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