Pope Francis passed away after leading the Roman Catholic Church for 12 years. His supporters remembered the first Latin American pontiff for his inclusive leadership style, while conservative Catholics accused him of diluting church teachings.
Pope Francis passed away after leading the Roman Catholic Church for 12 years. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis made history as the first pontiff from Latin America, the first Jesuit and the first to take his papal name from Saint Francis of Assisi, a saint who dedicated his life to the poor. When Francis became pope, he took over the Roman Catholic Church at a moment of crisis. The church was being rocked by clerical sexual abuse scandals, falling attendance, a dire shortage of priests and demands for a greater role for women. After decades of conservative leadership, Francis set out to lead the church in a…