Remembering Pope Francis: His most iconic moments, in photos

Pope Francis has died. This is the news that shook the world earlier today, April 21. Regardless of your faith or your lack of it, one cannot be helped but be drawn to the charismatic late pontiff, the first from Latin America and the first from the Jesuit order.

Chosen from “almost the ends of the Earth,” as he said upon his selection in 2013, Pope Francis’ 12-year papacy will be best remembered for embracing inclusivity, challenging the status quo, and promoting social justice. Pivoting toward a more progressive church from his predecessor Benedict XIV’s more traditional tenure, Pope Francis embraced survivors of sexual abuse by clergy members; members of the LGBTQ community; leaders of developing nations; and people of all faiths. He also spoke loudly againt wars and the destruction of nature.

Despite lingering health conditions, the 88-year-old continued to travel the world, spreading his message of selflessness, peace, love, and forgiveness. His 11-day Asia-Pacific trip late last year was the longest and most complicated of his tenure.

The POST pays tribute to Pope Francis, whose life and example will stay with us for generations to come.

First appearance as Pope, 2013

Pope Francis appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on March 13, 2013 after being elected by the conclave of cardinals on the fifth ballot. He was the first from Latin America to be elected as the supreme leader of the 1.41-billion strong Roman Catholic Church.

Pope Francis as TIME Magazine’s 2013 Person of the Year

During his nine months in office, the Pope had pulled “the papacy out of the palace and into the streets”, TIME managing editor Nancy Gibbs said.

Pope Francis praying at Jerusalem’s Western Wall, 2014

Pope Francis was photographed praying for peace at the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest shrine, in the Old City of Jerusalem in 2014. During his visit, he emphasized the importance of the three Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—working together for peace and justice.

Pope Francis in the Philippines, 2015

Pope Francis embarked on a five-day visit to the Philippines from January 15 to 19, 2015 where he officiated the Holy Eucharist at the Manila Cathedral, visited Typhoon Yolanda survivors in Tacloban, met with religious leaders and youth, and celebrated mass at the Quirino Grandstand.

Pope Francis opens his Jubilee year in the Central African Republic, 2015

Pope Francis opens the holy door of the Bangui cathedral, Central African Republic, to open his yearlong Jubilee of Mercy, on Nov. 29, 2015. During his visit, he took the biggest security risk of his papacy to visit a mosque under siege from armed Christian militias in Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, delivering a message of peace and reconciliation in a show of solidarity.

Pope Francis at Auschwitz, 2016

Pope Francis passes the main entrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the former concentration camp in Poland, in July 2016. The Pope paid tribute to those who died in the Holocaust and met with survivors and their families.

Pope Francis in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 2019

Pope Francis delivers a speech in front of the Memorial Cenotaph at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, western Japan, on Nov. 24, 2019. On the first day of his visit in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, delivered a clear message: possessing or deploying atomic weapons is immoral.

Pope Francis in Iraq, 2021

On March 5, 2021, Pope Francis became the first pontiff to visit Iraq. His trip included stops in Baghdad, Najaf and Mosul, where he met with religious and political leaders to call for peace and reconciliation among the country’s diverse communities.

Pope Francis apologizes to Canada’s indigenous groups, 2022

In June 2022, Pope Francis traveled across Canada to deliver long overdue apologies to the country’s Indigenous groups for the decades of abuses and cultural destruction they suffered at Catholic schools which forcibly assimilated Indigenous children and caused lasting trauma. During the visit, he met with survivors and called for healing and justice.