Pope Francis

Pope Francis
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Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; December 17, 1936 – April 21, 2025) was the 268th pope of the Catholic Church. His papacy began on March 13, 2013, and concluded with his death on Easter Monday in 2025.

Papacy

Throughout Francis' papacy, misinformation made the rounds on social media regarding his stance on several theological issues. Some Christians, including Catholics, have criticized him for allegedly embracing homosexuality. Francis was the first Pope to use the term "homosexual" and frequently stood-up against the persecution of homosexuals. But his stance on homosexuality was biblical, and he upheld that it was sin. He was also criticized by progressives during a priest shortage in the early 2020s, when he denied to allow women to become priests. Such a stance is also biblical.

Some Christians even claimed that Francis said that all religions worship the same God, another misinterpreted statement. He was frequently misquoted whenever he called for unity. These strawman arguments have been used by Protestants as an argument against the Catholic church.

As for Francis' actual policies, he was very apologetic with the history of the Catholic church. He frequently apologized for atrocities committed by the church, especially during the late medieval period and early modern history. He also notably canonized opposition to the death penalty as Catholic doctrine during his papacy.

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Preceded by: Benedict XVI

Pope 2013–2025

Succeeded by: Leo XIV