5 Things to Know About Francis' Life, Papacy

The death of Pope Francis at age 88 has led to an outpouring of tributes and coverage about his life and papacy. Some highlights:

• His calling: Francis was born on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He was the eldest of five siblings born to Italian immigrants. At age 16, he entered a basilica and felt as if "someone grabbed me from inside," he once said, per the New York Times. "Right there I knew I had to be a priest."

• Firsts: He would go on to become the first pope from the Americas, the first from the Jesuit order to reach the position, the first to take the name of Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, and the first to visit Iraq (in 2021), per the AP. The name Francis was telling in that he modeled his personal life, one of simplicity, on the saint. As archbishop in Buenos Aires, for example, he rode the bus to visit the city's slums and regularly cooked his own meals.
• To the left: In general, Francis "pushed the Catholic Church to the left, which satisfied Catholics seeking modernization but dismayed traditionalists," write Sareen Habeshian and Avery Lotz at Axios. He supported same-sex unions and the LGBTQ community, advocated for policies to curb climate change, pushed for migrants' rights, and got into a public tiff with the Trump administration over its mass deportations.
• Misstep on abuse: The Washington Post has a similar take on Francis' legacy, writing that he "shifted the focus of the church away from debates about topics such as divorce and contraception and engaged with modern questions about climate change, immigration and artificial intelligence." As pope, he "also sought, and sometimes struggled, to impose accountability for clerical sexual abuse," per the story. One misstep on the latter came when he initially defended Chilean bishop Juan Barros, who was accused of protecting a pedophile priest. Francis would later admit he erred in an extraordinary public letter.
• Tributes: Vice President JD Vance, who met with Francis on Sunday, was among the world leaders paying tribute. The AP has a roundup, including praise from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate," she tweeted. "My thoughts are with all who feel this profound loss. May they find solace in the idea that Pope Francis' legacy will continue to guide us all toward a more just, peaceful and compassionate world."

(More Pope Francis stories.)