Radio | News week in plain Finnish | Sunday 27.4.2025

Pope Francis

Pope Francis

The topic of the news week this time is Pope Francis.

Pope Francis died last Monday, April 21st.

The Pope is a significant spiritual leader. The Catholic Church has well over a billion members.

Now let’s tell you more about Pope Francis.

Home in Argentina

Pope Francis’ real name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

He was born in 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Bergoglio’s parents were immigrants. They came to Argentina from Italy.

Bergoglio became pope in March 2013. He was pope for 12 years.

Bergoglio chose the papal name Francis. Francis of Assisi was an Italian monk and saint who lived in the 13th century.

The disadvantaged and marginalized

Pope Francis was the first South American pope.

He steered the Catholic Church in a more modern direction. For example, he spoke more positively about homosexuals than previous popes. He also somewhat improved the status of women in the Catholic Church.

The disadvantaged and marginalized were important to Francis.

Francis’s speeches often focused on the marginalized, the poor, the sick, migrants, and prisoners. Francis also visited migrants and prisons.

Pope Francis spoke cautiously about the war in Ukraine. For example, he did not condemn Russian war crimes in Ukraine. This caution has angered many people.

Health problems

Pope Francis has had many health problems in recent years. He used a wheelchair due to knee problems.

This year he was in the hospital for a long time due to pneumonia.

The Pope’s funeral was held yesterday, Saturday, at the Vatican.

After the funeral, the election of a new pope will begin. It will be held at a meeting of cardinals, attended by high-ranking officials of the Catholic Church and bishops from around the world. There are about 120 of them.

The meeting may last for several days. The new pope may be voted on several times.

The Pope is a prominent spiritual leader. The Catholic Church is a religious community of approximately 1.4 billion people, or 18 percent of the world’s population.

The largest number of Catholics are found in the Americas.

Repetition

The topic of the news week this time was Pope Francis.

Pope Francis died on April 21, Easter Monday. He was 88 years old.

Pope Francis steered the Catholic Church in a more modern direction.

This was a news week in plain Finnish. See you again, let’s hear from you!