"When Death Comes for the Pope" | April 27, 2025

Pope Francis has died at age 88, following recent health challenges including respiratory infection complications made more difficult by his lifelong condition of having only one functioning lung. His papacy, which began when he was 76 years old, spanned 12 years of devoted service despite increasing physical limitations including severe mobility issues.• Pope's death came on Easter Sunday night after greeting pilgrims from the papal balcony that afternoon• Francis embodied the Jesuit charism of going to the margins, ministering at bus stations and addiction clinics• Modern papacy marked by unprecedented media visibility, beginning with Pius XII and peaking with John Paul II• All popes face criticism but Francis seemed to evoke particularly strong responses, both positive and negative• Church has weathered far darker periods in its history with much more corrupt leadership• The papal office continues despite challenges, with the Church enduring through centuries of changeWe can say that all healing comes from the goodness of God written into the fabric of nature. As believers we know the wholeness of life is in Jesus Christ himself.************Father Don Wolf is a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Living Catholic also broadcasts on Oklahoma Catholic Radio several times per week, with new episodes airing every Sunday.