Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, died on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. His passing ends a groundbreaking papacy that attempted to balance doctrinal integrity with pastoral concern.

During his time in office, Pope Francis upheld the Church's long-held opposition to abortion, calling it an aspect of a "throwaway culture" and comparing it to contracting out a hit. But he stressed compassion over condemnation, urging the Church to spiritually accompany women who had abortions. In a dramatic gesture, he gave priests dispensation to forgive the sin of abortion, a power hitherto held by bishops. He was also opposed to attempts to withhold Communion from pro-choice politicians and instead called on clergy to be spiritual guides, not political enforcers. Pope Francis took significant steps toward making the Church more inclusive of LGBTQ+ people.

His now-famous comment, "Who am I to judge?" marked a softer tone. He endorsed civil unions for gay couples, saying that they have the right to form a family and should be legislatively protected. During his tenure, the Vatican permitted blessings for same-sex couples and recognized that transgender people could be baptized and become godparents. He also advocated for the abolishment of homosexuality criminalization laws, terming them as unfair The sex abuse scandal posed one of the greatest challenges of Francis's papacy. First faulted for ignoring allegations by victims in Chile, he subsequently apologized and acted firmly, defrocking Cardinal Theodore McCarrick after a probe. He updated Church laws to abrogate pontifical secrecy and put in place procedures to discipline bishops.

Pope Francis's papacy was characterized by attempts to update the Church's response to a range of social issues while preserving fundamental doctrinal teachings.

His actions on climate change, interfaith dialogue, and social justice were popular with many, but he was criticized by both conservative and progressive elements within the Church. As the world looks back at his legacy, Pope Francis is recalled as a pope who attempted to close the divide between tradition and the changing demands of the believers.