VATICAN CITY, April 21 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday, ending an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the hidebound institution. He was 88, and had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.
"Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis," Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican's TV channel.
"At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father."
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, surprising many Church watchers who had seen the Argentine cleric, known for his concern for the poor, as an outsider.
He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his "psychological health".
He inherited a Church that was under attack over a child sex abuse scandal and torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy, and was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.
But as his papacy progressed, he faced fierce criticism from conservatives, who accused him of trashing cherished traditions. He also drew the ire of progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2,000-year-old Church.
While he struggled with internal dissent, Francis became a global superstar, drawing huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he tirelessly promoted interfaith dialogue and peace, taking the side of the marginalised, such as migrants.
Unique in modern times, there were two men wearing white in the Vatican for much of Francis' rule, with his predecessor Benedict opting to continue to live in the Holy See after his shock resignation in 2013 had opened the way for a new pontiff.
Benedict, a hero of the conservative cause, died in December 2022, finally leaving Francis alone on the papal stage.
Francis appointed nearly 80% of the cardinal electors who will choose the next pope correct as of February 2025, increasing the possibility that his successor will continue his progressive policies, despite the strong pushback from traditionalists.
The widespread sex crimes were horrible, and I think a major reason it took decades to solve was that, instead of debating actual solutions, each side just weaponized it for its pet cause. Traditionalists blamed the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Conservatives blamed tolerance of homosexuality and lack of discipline. Progressives blamed celibacy, male-only priesthood, and opposition to abortion. With all these people foaming at the mouth while yelling at the others, the problem could not be solved.
It that context, I strongly suspect the claim "Francis didn’t do anything to end the church’s official doctrine of covering up sex crimes on behalf of its members" is propaganda. What I know is that there was a decades-old rule that the Church would not share evidence with the State, arguing that was necessary to protect the privacy of the victim and the accused, so the victim had to give a second testimony before the State. But Francis abolished that rule, did he not? And don't most people who are not conservatives (conservatives believe in Vigano's conspiracy theories) credit Pope Francis with alleviating the problem? Wikipedia, citing The Guardian and CNN, says "Pope Francis made sweeping changes that allow for greater transparency". Yes, Guardian and CNN are capitalist, but that only makes them suspect for certain subjects (such as actually existing socialist states). I have never seen anyone accuse The Guardian and CNN of pro-Catholic bias.
So you can plausibly argue that Pope Francis was too slow, but please check your sources and do not grossly inflate his actual errors.