Pope Francis: radical leader who broke the papal mould

Pope Francis, a radical pontiff and champion of the underdogs, transformed the Catholic Church with compassion and reform.

Pope Francis, who died Monday (April 21, 2025) aged 88, will go down in history as a radical pontiff, a champion of underdogs who forged a more compassionate Catholic Church while stopping short of overhauling centuries-old dogma.

Pope Francis passes away: LIVE Updates

Dubbed "the people's Pope", the Argentine pontiff loved being among his flock and was popular with the faithful, though he faced bitter opposition from traditionalists within the Church.

The first pope from the Americas and the southern hemisphere, he staunchly defended the most disadvantaged, from migrants to communities battered by climate change, which he warned was a crisis caused by humankind.

But while he confronted head-on the global scandal of sex abuse by priests, survivors' groups said concrete measures were slow in coming.

From his election in March 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was eager to make his mark as the leader of the Catholic Church.

He became the first pope to take the name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century mystic who renounced his wealth and devoted his life to the poor.