Pope Francis's life in pictures

Defining images of the first Latin American to lead the Catholic Church

Pope Francis waves to the faithful from the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on December 25, 2015.

Defining images of the first Latin American to lead the Catholic Church

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By the Visual Journalism team 21 April 2025 News

Pope Francis has died after leading the Roman Catholic Church for more than a decade.

His last public appearance was on the balcony of the Vatican's St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday to wish “Happy Easter” to thousands of worshippers.

The Pope, in a wheelchair, waved to cheering crowds in St Peter’s Square below.

Pope Francis on the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Easter Sunday

A no-frills Pope who was determined to make the Church more inclusive - here are some of the most striking images from the 88-year-old’s life and papacy.

Pope Francis dressed in purple robes and holding the Catholic host above his head

The Pope receives pilgrims from the Diocese of Cassano all'Jonio in the Hall Paul VI

Pope Francis presides a Mass with devotees at the National Stadium in Singapore in 2024.

Francis was already in his seventies when he became Pope in 2013 - replacing the retiring Benedict XVI.

Image source, Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Francis's socially liberal and minimalistic beliefs contrasted with Benedict's more traditional views, but Francis said his predecessor "never interfered" and the two were often seen together at the Vatican Gardens.

Image source, Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

Pope Francis sits behind Pope Benedict's coffin in St Peter's Square

In 2022, Francis became the first Pope for more than a century to bury his predecessor - when Benedict died at the age of 95.

Francis’s papacy broke new ground in many other ways - he was the first Jesuit and the first Latin American pontiff.

Humble beginnings

He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 17 December 1936 - the eldest of five children. His parents had fled their native Italy to escape fascism.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio's mother Regina Maria Sivori and father Mario Jose Francisco on their wedding day

Growing up in a working-class family, his early life was marked by simplicity and a commitment to his faith.

The Bergoglio family as they pose for a portrait, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Top row, from left; Maria Elena, Regina Sivori, Alberto, Jorge Mario, Oscar, Marta and her husband Enrique Navaja. Bottom row, from right; Mario, Maria de Bergoglio and Juan. Mario and Regina were the parents of Jorge Mario, Maria Elena, Oscar, Marta and Alberto. — Jorge Mario Bergoglio (top row, second from left) poses with his family for a portrait shortly after becoming a priest

As a young man Bergoglio worked as a nightclub bouncer and floor sweeper, and supported his local football club, San Lorenzo de Almagro, a passion he maintained long after he became a priest in 1969.

Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio with San Lorenzo flag

Pope Francis is given a San Lorenzo shirt

The young clergyman won swift promotion, in 1973 becoming the de facto leader of Argentina's Jesuits, a highly influential Catholic order of missionaries and educators.

Victor Zorzin, rector of the School Maximo, Andres Swinnen, Teacher of the novices, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, province superior, Carlos Cravena, Minister of the School Maximo, and Hipolito Salvo, ex- provincial in Argentina.

Bergoglio's leadership was defined by his dedication to social justice and support for the marginalised.

But he was accused by some of not doing enough to oppose the generals of the brutal military dictatorship that governed Argentina between 1976 and 1983 - especially after the military kidnapped two priests.

Bergoglio explained that speaking out was difficult in such dangerous times and the Vatican has denied he was guilty of any wrongdoing during the period.

Rise to the top

In 1998, Bergoglio was appointed Archbishop of Buenos Aires, where he gained a reputation for his pastoral care, humility and outreach to the poor. Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal in 2001.

Pope John Paul II names Jorge Mario Bergoglio as in2001

He refused many of the trappings of his office - often choosing to wear the black gown of a priest rather than the red and purple of his new position, travelling by public transport and engaging directly with the community.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio travels on the subway in Buenos Aires

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio washes the feet of patients of a shelter for drug users

And by the 2005 conclave that followed Pope John Paul II’s death he was seen as a contender for the papacy - although he would not become Pope until eight years later.

Newly elected Pope Francis I appears on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica

On 13 March 2013, Pope Francis emerged on the balcony overlooking St Peter's Square.

Clad simply in white, he bore a new name paying homage to St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the environment, animals and birds.

From the start, Pope Francis emphasised simplicity and service. He took the bus home with the other cardinals instead of using the papal limousine. "Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor," he remarked.

Global outlook

It was hoped the new Pope's unorthodox background would help rejuvenate the Vatican and reinvigorate its holy mission.

Pope Francis walks out from Assumption Cathedral in Thailand in 2019 as young people reach out to touch him

As Pope he appointed more than 140 cardinals from non-European countries - including 15 in December 2024.

Pope Francis presides over a consistory for the creation of new Cardinals at The Vatican in 2024

Francis also made efforts to promote world peace and inter-religious dialogue central to his papacy.

He sought to heal the thousand-year rift with the Eastern Orthodox Church and worked with Anglicans, Lutherans and Methodists.

Pope Francis watches as Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II releases a dove

And he persuaded the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to join him at the Vatican to pray for peace a year after becoming Pope.

Image source, Max Rossi/Reuters

Israeli President Shimon Peres, Pope Francis and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are pictured in the Vatican Gardens

"Peacemaking calls for courage, much more so than warfare," Pope Francis said after the meeting.

Image source, GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP

Pope Francis shakes the hands of children outside the Central Mosque, in Bangui, Central African Republic

A year later he visited several African countries, including Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic, focusing his energy on trying to bring Christians and Muslims together.

Image source, SIMON MAINA/AFP

Pope Francis in the popemobile in Juba, South Sudan, on February 5, 2023

He returned to the continent in 2023 calling for peace during a pilgrimage to South Sudan.

In his Christmas message of 2022 he spoke of a world suffering from a "famine of peace" and called for an end to the war in Ukraine - months later he welcomed President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Vatican.

Pope Francis meets Ukrainian President Zelensky

And, as a Spanish-speaking Latin American, he provided a crucial service as mediator when the US government reopened diplomatic ties with Cuba in 2015 - holding meetings at the Vatican and visiting both countries that year.

Pope Francis meeting Raul Castro in the Vatican

Pope Francis with by US President Barack Obama at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland

He also hosted the late Queen at the Vatican in 2014 and five years later the future King, Prince Charles.

He met actors and celebrities including Angelina Jolie and sportspeople such as Argentina footballing hero Lionel Messi.

Pope Francis with Gianluigi Buffon and Lionel Messi

He even shook hands with Spider-Man…

Pope Francis greets Mattia Villardita, who visits children in hospitals dressed as Spider-Man — Pope Francis greets Mattia Villardita, who visits children in hospitals in Italy dressed as Spider-Man

In tougher times, during the Covid pandemic, he cancelled his regular appearances in St Peter’s Square - to prevent the virus spreading - and declared that being vaccinated was a universal obligation.

Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the Vatican during the Covid pandemic

Controversial decisions

But his papacy has not been without challenges. Francis encountered resistance from conservative factions within the Church, who felt he was moving away from traditional doctrine.

He opposed abortion throughout his time as Pope, describing it as a "grave sin", but allowed priests to forgive women who repented after having one.

And in 2023 he said priests would be allowed to bless same-sex couples - a significant advance for LGBT people in the Catholic Church - although the blessings were not to be part of regular Church rituals or related to civil unions or weddings.

However, the greatest challenge to his papacy came from those who accused him of failing to tackle child abuse.

Protesters against clerical abuse and the visit of Pope Francis gather in Dublin in 2018

Although the Pope talked of the Church taking decisive action to deal with the issue - including making it compulsory for members of the clergy to report suspected abuse to their superiors - critics contend that he could have done more during his papacy.

Pope Francis leaves St Peter's Basilica at the end of a mass for the Solemnity of Saint Peter and Paul in 2013

Despite the controversies, Pope Francis remained committed to the poor and marginalised, living a life of service and simplicity as he led the world's 1.2 billion Catholics for more than a decade.

"A world full of hope and kindness is a more beautiful world," he told the BBC over the Christmas period in 2024.

Pope Francis arrives for celebrate Mass at Copacabana beach in 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Pope Francis releases a dove during a meeting with Chaldean community at the Catholic Church of St Simon Bar Sabbae in Tbilisi, in 2016

Pope Francis with his hand on a toddler's face during his visit to the Serafina parish social centre in Lisbon, on August 4, 2023

Pope Francis leads a special audience for the faithful in Saint Peter's square in 2018.

Credits

Produced and edited by Chris Clayton, Emma Lynch, Tom Finn and Richard Moynihan. Development by Dan Smith and Giacomo Boscaini-Gilroy. Picture research by BBC picture desk.

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