Dear Editor,
Pope Francis, the 266th occupant of the throne of St. Peter, began his journey in 2013 as head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. He was born as the first child of Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, to Mario José Bergoglio, an Italian immigrant accountant, and Regina María Sívori from Buenos Aires. He was reared in the Flores neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, along with his four siblings, Alberto Horacio, Marta Regina, María Elena, and Óscar Adrián.
Bergoglio’s educational journey began at Wilfrid Barón de los Santos Ángeles, a Salesian of Don Bosco school in Ramos Mejía, Buenos Aires Province. He then pursued his studies at the technical secondary school Escuela Técnica Industrial Nº 27 Hipólito Yrigoyen, where he graduated with a chemical technician’s diploma, laying the foundation for his future academic and spiritual pursuits.
Bergoglio studied at the archdiocesan seminary, Inmaculada Concepción Seminary, in Villa Devoto, Buenos Aires. In 1958, he entered the Society of Jesus as a novice. Two years later, in 1960, he became a Jesuit and received a licentiate in philosophy from the Colegio Máximo de San José.
From 1964 to 1965, Bergoglio taught language, literature, and psychology at the Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepción in Santa Fe, and the following year, in 1966, he taught at the Colegio del Salvador in Buenos Aires.
From 1967 to 1969, Bergoglio completed theological studies at Facultades de Filosofía y Teología de San Miguel. He was ordained a Catholic priest on December 13, 1969, and from 1973 to 1979, he was the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina. In 1998, Bergoglio became the archbishop of Buenos Aires, and three years later, in 2001, he was created a cardinal by Pope John Paul II.
Following Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation on February 28, 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on March 13, 2013. Thus, he became the first Latin American pontiff and the first Jesuit. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.
The University of Salerno Medical School in Fisciano, Italy, the oldest school of medicine globally, conferred Pope Francis with a Doctorate Honoris Causa in 2017, highlighting his contributions to humanitarian efforts and his commitment to promoting health and well-being globally.
During his tenure as pope, Francis made women full members of dicasteries in the Roman Curia. This is his commitment to inclusivity and recognition of the valuable contributions that women can make and marks a step towards greater gender equity in the Catholic Church. He has demonstrated a generally supportive stance towards the LGBTQIA community. He emphasizes the importance of compassion, understanding, and dialogue, urging the Church and society to treat LGBTQ individuals with dignity and respect. His famous remark, “Who am I to judge?” regarding the LGBTQIA community, has become emblematic of his more inclusive approach. While he upholds traditional Church teachings on marriage, he advocates for legal protections for LGBTQIA individuals and has called for more acceptance within the Church. In addition, Francis denounced the death penalty because he said that it did not deter crime and could lead to irreversible injustices, such as the execution of innocent people. His stance reflects a broader trend within the Catholic Church, which seeks to emphasize the value of life at all stages and promote a more restorative form of justice, suggesting that society should focus on rehabilitation rather than retribution. Pope Francis has addressed the issue of reparations for slavery by emphasizing the need for acknowledgment and repentance regarding past injustices. He has called for a deeper understanding of historical wrongs and a commitment to healing through dialogue and education. The Catholic Church, under his leadership, has expressed its intent to work towards reconciliation, recognizing the ongoing effects of slavery and colonialism on marginalized communities. Pope Francis also defended the cause of the poor, engaged in dialogue with other religions, promoted a more open and compassionate Church, and regularly celebrated the Holy Thursday foot-washing ritual in jails, hospitals, retirement homes, and impoverished areas.
Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis has written powerful books such as The Church of Mercy, Praise Be to You: Laudato Si’, On Fraternity and Social Friendship, and Our Father: Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer. Each of these compelling works is designed to inspire readers not only to embrace their faith wholeheartedly but also to champion a more inclusive and equitable society.
The Holy Father Pope Francis, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the firstborn or raised outside of Europe since the 8th-century Syrian Pope Gregory III, died on April 21, 2025, at his residence on the second floor of the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, Rome, Italy. He was 88.
—Otis D. Alexander, PhD, a retired music teacher on St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Was also Academic Library Director at St. John Vianney College (Catholic) Seminary in Miami, Florida.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
