Pope Francis changed the Catholic church, but not as much as he hoped
The most open-minded pope for many years died on April 21st—Easter Monday—aged 88
The moment when the great doors of St Peter’s balcony swing open, announcing a new pope, seems to call for trumpets and drums. Instead, on March 13th 2013, the figure in white said: “Good evening.” Though he spoke in Italian, his parents’ language, he was Argentine, the first non-European pope for almost 13 centuries. That in itself was interesting. Then, before the traditional urbi et orbi blessing, he asked the huge crowd for their blessing on him. Interest turned to patent surprise.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Obituary section of the print edition under the headline “Pope Francis”
From the April 26th 2025 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the edition
John Robbins had serious doubts about the family business
The campaigner for healthier living who spurned a fortune died on June 11th, aged 77
Violeta Chamorro was a mother first, a ruler second
The first female president of Nicaragua died on June 14th, aged 95
Brian Wilson attracted a fame he could hardly endure
The creative mind behind the Beach Boys died on June 11th, aged 82
Valmik Thapar was in love with all the tigers of India
The conservationist and ardent campaigner died on May 31st, aged 73
Amanda Feilding fought to rescue the reputation of psychedelics
The campaigner and scientific collaborator died on May 22nd, aged 82
Simon Mann was the go-to guy for military coups and bespoke warfare
The private military contractor, aka mercenary, died on May 8th, aged 72