Christendom College mourns the passing of Pope Francis, who died in the early hours of Easter Monday, April 21, 2025. A dedicated servant of God and of His Church, Pope Francis led the Catholic Church as Supreme Pontiff for 12 years. He was 88.
“We join the entire world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis,” says College President George A. Harne, Ph.D. “We will always be grateful that Pope Francis was both a tireless advocate for the protection of the unborn and a prophet of the subtle threats of technocratic tyranny. Among his writings, the most important were those that extended the teachings of his predecessors: his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei, which brought to completion a work begun by Benedict XVI, and his last encyclical, Dilexit Nos, a sustained meditation on the Sacred Heart. Let us pray for the soul of Pope Francis and for the conclave in the days ahead.”
Born in 1936 as Jorge Bergoglio, Pope Francis was ordained a priest in his native Argentina in 1969. Following his ordination, he served as a provincial superior for the Jesuits from 1973 to 1979 and later as rector of the Facultades de Filosofía y Teología de San Miguel for six years. In 1992, he was named auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires, becoming archbishop in 1998. Three years later, Pope St. John Paul II named him a cardinal — a title he would hold until his election as pope in 2013.
Alumnus Bradley Torline ’16 swapped zucchettos with Pope Francis during his semester abroad with Christendom in 2015.
Christendom students, studying in Rome at the time, were blessed to be in St. Peter’s Square that night for Pope Francis’ first appearance as pope. Together with the Catholic faithful across the globe, they heard his humble request for prayers as he began his pontificate, along with his call that we “pray for one another.”
Pope Francis was the first Supreme Pontiff in the history of the Church to take the name of Francis, inspired by the life of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis’ devotions to poverty, peace, and creation guided Pope Francis’ pontificate, with his words and writings emphasizing the need for compassion and mercy, especially for those on the margins of society. He wrote four encyclicals, made 47 apostolic journeys outside of Italy, and canonized a record 942 saints — including his predecessors Pope St. John XXIII, Pope St. Paul VI, and Pope St. John Paul II.
Christendom College President Emeritus Dr. Timothy O’Donnell met with Pope Francis in 2014 while serving with the Pontifical Council for the Family, introducing him to Christendom College at that time. Dr. O’Donnell was also present in St. Peter’s Square the night of Pope Francis’ election, as well as on Easter Sunday 2025 for his final words as Supreme Pontiff, where he beautifully stated “Christ is risen! These words capture the whole meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life.”
President Emeritus Dr. Timothy O’Donnell and his wife, Cathy, met with Pope Francis in 2014.
“I remember how moved I was the night he was elected when he humbly begged all the faithful present to pray for him — followed by a prolonged period of silent prayer in St. Peter’s Square,” recalls Dr. O’Donnell. “Yesterday, I was moved by his words and actions, despite his obvious pain and suffering, as he made himself visible and available to the faithful in the Square, reaching out and blessing a number of infants and children in imitation of the Lord, who said, ‘Suffer the little children to come to me.’ There will be many things he will be remembered for. Early on in his pontificate, he spoke powerfully of the reality of the Devil, and described the Church as a ‘field hospital’ where the broken and wounded of this world could find healing and peace. He will also be remembered for speaking out against abortion, calling it ‘murder’ and likening it to ‘the hiring of a hit man.’ Let us all pray fervently for the repose of the soul of our Holy Father.”
May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.