His death, so closely following the Church's most sacred feast, was like a final gesture of faith from a man who devoted his life to preaching mercy, humility, and the hope of resurrection.

In 2013, Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936, became the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, and the first non-European pope in over a thousand years. He brought a spirit of humility and compassion to the papacy, marked by a deep concern for the poor and the marginalized. "When you give alms, do you look into the eyes of the man or woman to whom you give alms? Do you touch their hand, or do you throw the coin and look the other way?" he asked. "Charity is not simply giving money. It is involving yourself in the lives of others."