Pope Francis died the day after Easter, April 21, 2025 at the age of 88.
It was 2 1/2 weeks past the 20-year anniversary of Pope John Paul II's death. Pope Benedict XVI, who succeeded John Paul II, resigned in 2013, an almost unheard of occurrence for a Pope.
John Paul II was elected Pope in October of 1978, just after I had started in kindergarten. He ruled for 26 years and died just a few months before I got married. The point being that Popes dying hasn't happened a lot lately. So when it happens, it's a big deal.
And I don't know if it's because I'm trying to avoid the news in 2025, or what, but I haven't spent as much time following the coverage of Francis' death. I did happen to get up last Saturday to try to watch the funeral at 4 in the morning, but much like our commander in chief, I couldn't really stay awake for it.
What I do know is that Francis died much like how he lived. As a simple, dignified man, who resisted the trappings and glory of leading the Catholic Church, choosing instead to live relatively low key. He lived in an apartment rather than the Papal Palace where his predecessors resided. I saw an interview with Raniero Mancinelli, who served as tailor to John Paul II and Benedict XVI before doing likewise for Francis. Mancinelli told ABC News that he actually lost money during Francis reign as Pope because Francis bought more simplistic garments and papal bling (my words not his) than the previous pontiffs.
He made history by being the first Pope born in the new world, and the first Jesuit priest to be elected to the papacy.
I choose to remember Francis as The Happy Pope. Rare was the time I didn't see him with a huge smile on his face. But it was more than that. To me he was the Pope who tried to find the middle ground, the Pope who chose not to focus on what was different about us, but what we had in common.
I know that folks are going to say that he didn't do enough, that far too many people are still not made to feel welcome in the church. I understand that argument and in some cases I agree with it. But I also saw Francis as someone who was able to navigate that line better than most. Maybe giving priests permission to bless gay couples is still far too short of allowing gay marriage in the church, but it's quite a step forward from condemning it as had been done in the past.
John Paul II had started somewhat progressive, but I felt the older he got, the more he began to lean on the more conservative wing of the church. I think part of that was that he was sicker than he let on and wasn't totally in charge of the store as it were.
Francis never wavered from his goal of reaching out. Even as he got older and was in poor health towards the end, he stuck to what he believed in. The next Pope is going to have big shoes to fill.
And speaking of the next Pope, the conclave starts this coming Wednesday. Here are some of the names of the Cardinals being bandied about the interwebs...
Pierbattista Pizzaballa-Italy- He's the youngest candidate I've seen, having just turned 60. He is the Latin Patriarch to Jerusalem, putting him close to the never ending war in the Middle East. They say his age is working against him. Huh? You wanna be doing this again in a couple years?
Luis Antonio Angle-Philippines-He's 67, would be the first Asian Pope, and has been compared to Francis both in style and substance. Also considered a natural in front of the camera.
Mateo Maria Zupi-Italy-Like Francis, has chosen to forego the more opulent trappings of the college of cardinals. Also favors a more inclusive church. Maybe not as outgoing as Cardinal Angle. 69 years old.
Jean-Marc Aveline-France- Sounds more like a goalie for the Canadiens than a Papal candidate, but all joking aside, he has similar philosophies to Francis in terms of social justice. Kind of looks like Francis too. Has also been compared (in appearance namely) to Pope John XXIII, the one who brought the world the Second Vatican Council (highlights-Masses no longer strictly in Latin and meatless Fridays only during Lent) 66 years old.
Pietro Parolin-Italy-This was Francis number 2. Makes a lot of sense in terms of handing the keys off to the co-pilot. The knock on him is that he's not considered a powerful enough speaker, and isn't quite as charismatic as his late boss. Not to be too much of a dick, but at the end of the day, the Pope is the church's lead salesman. 70 years old.
Juan Jose Omella-Spain-Another who seems to be ready and willing to follow in Francis footsteps. Working against him is that while he acknowledged the sexual abuse in the church, he strongly suggested that the number of victims was exaggerated. That's not going to fly here. 79 years old
Peter Turkson-Ghana-Would be the first black Pope. I also read he was once a guitarist in a funk band, which I think is an amazing thing to have on a Papal resume. He has spoken out against the criminalization of gay people in his native Ghana, but is also widely considered to lean more conservative. 76 years old.
Peter Erdo-Hungary-Most of what I've read on him is that he would bring the church back to the latter days of John Paul and the beginning of Benedict. Not where I think the church should be going. 72 years old.
I'm rooting for either Pizzaballa or Angle, I'm guessing it's going to either be Zupi or Parolin.
I put this list together a few years ago. Some Pope trivia and commentary
With the world as screwy as it is now, the College of Cardinals really need to get this one right. Let's all hope (and if you're so inclined-pray) they don't screw it up.
WM will do it's best to have white smoke coverage when it happens.
Editor's note- I will try to have a blogpost covering the Rangers coaching change, the Knicks playoff run, the NFL Draft and other non-political stuff in the next day or two. I may also have some things to say about CFCO's first 100 days. Sorry I haven't posted in a bit, but we'll be catching up soon.
Stay Safe.
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