Pope Francis / Who is the Pope what is the importance of this post? Know how the new Pope will be elected

Pope Francis: The supreme religious leader of Christianity, Pope Francis has passed away at the age of 88. This news has brought deep grief not only to the Catholic community but to the whole world. According to the official statement issued by the Vatican, Pope Francis breathed his last on Easter Monday, 21 April 2025, at his residence in Casa Santa Marta, Vatican City. He was suffering from lung infection and kidney failure due to it for some time and was undergoing treatment at Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

Symbol of simplicity and compassion: Pope Francis

Pope Francis was born on 17 December 1936 in Argentina and his real name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He was elected Pope on 13 March 2013 and for the first time in history a non-European person took over the throne of the Pope.

His image was that of a kind-hearted, simple-loving and public-sensitive leader. He not only spread spiritual consciousness in Catholicism, but also expressed his views on global issues such as the rights of the poor, environmental protection, religious tolerance and social justice. He always wore simple clothes, away from expensive splendor, and preferred to live among the common people.

Who is the Pope?

The Pope is the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He is considered the successor of Saint Peter, whom Jesus Christ himself described as the foundation of his church. The function of the Pope is not only to lead religious affairs, but he also interprets the teachings of the church and provides spiritual guidance.

He is considered a global voice in establishing world peace, social justice and moral values. Being the ruler of Vatican City, the Pope plays not only a religious but also a political-administrative role.

How will the new Pope be selected?

Now that Pope Francis is no more, the eyes of the whole world will be on the process of selection of the new Pope. This election takes place in a special assembly called Conclave, in which Catholic Cardinals participate. This entire process is extremely confidential and traditional.

The process of electing a new Pope is as follows:

• The election takes place in a closed room in Vatican City, which is called the conclave.
• Only those cardinals who are under 80 years of age are eligible to vote.
• All cardinals write the name of their favorite candidate on a slip one by one.
• Three officials count the votes. If someone gets a two-thirds majority, then he is elected as the new Pope.
• The slips are then burned. If white smoke comes out, it means that the new Pope has been elected. Black smoke indicates that the decision has not been made yet.

Preparation for a new beginning

The departure of Pope Francis is certainly like the end of a religious era. His legacy will be a high benchmark for the coming Pope. Now that preparations for the conclave have begun, the eyes of the whole world will be on the Vatican to see who will be the new Pope, and in which direction he will take the church forward.

In this time of grief, Christian believers around the world are paying tribute to Pope Francis — a leader who dedicated his life to the values ​​of love, service and humanity.