Challenges in the Life of Pope Francis in a Detailed Timeline
Life is full of challenges, and Pope Francis faced many. Discover key struggles and how they were overcome.
Pope Francis is the current head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. He marks several historical firsts: the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas and Southern Hemisphere, and the first born and raised outside Europe since the 8th century. His papacy is noted for its emphasis on mercy, social justice, and environmental stewardship, as well as efforts to reform the Vatican bureaucracy and address issues such as clerical sexual abuse.
1976: Allegations Regarding Kidnapping of Jesuit Priests
In 1976, during Argentina's Dirty War, Bergoglio faced allegations regarding the Argentine Navy's kidnapping of two Jesuit priests, Orlando Yorio and Franz Jalics. He had feared for their safety and tried to change their work prior to their arrest.
1986: Replaced as Rector
In 1986, Bergoglio was replaced as rector of the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of San Miguel, due to disagreements with the Society of Jesus.
1992: Asked not to live in Jesuit residences
In 1992, Jesuit authorities requested that Bergoglio not live in Jesuit residences due to tensions, concerns about his views, and his role as auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires.
December 2001: Led the Argentine Church during riots
In December 2001, Jorge Mario Bergoglio led the Argentine Church during the December 2001 riots in Argentina, facing political rivalry from the Kirchner administrations.
2005: Criminal Complaint Filed and Dismissed
In 2005, Myriam Bregman, a human rights lawyer, filed a criminal complaint against Bergoglio, accusing him of involvement in the kidnapping of two Jesuit priests in 1976. The complaint was subsequently dismissed.
2013: Reaffirmed Reform Program for U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious
In 2013, Francis initially reaffirmed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's program to reform the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which had been initiated under Pope Benedict XVI.
January 2014: Limiting the Title of Monsignor
In January 2014, Pope Francis announced he would appoint fewer monsignors and only assign those honored to the lowest rank, chaplain of His Holiness, awarded only to diocesan priests at least 65 years old, associating the title with clerical careerism.
January 2014: Vatican Bank Reform and Oversight Changes
In January 2014, Pope Francis replaced four of the five cardinal overseers of the Vatican Bank, who had been confirmed in their positions during Benedict XVI's papacy. Lay experts and clerics were assigned to examine the bank's operations, and Ernst von Freyberg was placed in charge. Moneyval indicated the need for further reforms, and Francis expressed willingness to close the bank if reforms proved too challenging.
2014: Reversal of Laicization of Mauro Inzoli
In 2014, Pope Francis reversed the decision to laicize Mauro Inzoli, an Italian priest accused of child sexual abuse, allowing him to remain a priest but removed from public ministry.
2015: Criticism for supporting Juan Barros
In 2015, Pope Francis faced criticism for supporting Chilean bishop Juan Barros, who was accused of covering up Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Chile, including crimes committed against minors.
2016: Inzoli Convicted of Sexually Abusing Children
In 2016, Mauro Inzoli was convicted of sexually abusing children in Italian civil court and sentenced to prison.
2016: Creation of Study Commission on the Women's Diaconate
In 2016, Pope Francis initiated dialogue on the possibility of deaconesses by creating a Study Commission on the Women's Diaconate to research the role of female deacons in early Christianity.
2016: Intensified criticism from theological conservatives
Since 2016, criticism against Pope Francis by theological conservatives has intensified.
March 2017: Upholding of Father Grassi's Conviction
In March 2017, the Supreme Court of Argentina upheld the conviction and prison sentence against Father Julio César Grassi, a priest convicted of child sexual abuse, despite a 2010 study commissioned by then-Cardinal Bergoglio which concluded Grassi was innocent.
July 2017: "Filial Correction" of Francis
In July 2017, a group of conservative clergy, academics, and laymen signed a document labelled as a "Filial Correction" of Pope Francis, criticizing him for promoting what it described as seven heretical propositions during his pontificate.
September 2017: Admission of Mishandling the Inzoli Case
In September 2017, Pope Francis admitted in unscripted remarks that he mishandled the Mauro Inzoli case, stating that as a new pope, he chose the more benevolent sentence but later learned from his mistake.
October 2017: Response to Catalan Independence Referendum
In October 2017, after the Catalan independence referendum, Pope Francis communicated that the Vatican would not recognize secessionist movements not resulting from decolonization.
2017: Commissioned Vatican investigation into McCarrick
In 2017, Pope Francis commissioned a Vatican investigation after renewed allegations against McCarrick, which found that McCarrick had sexually molested both adults and minors.
January 2018: Meeting with Yazidi Refugees
In January 2018, Pope Francis met Yazidi refugees in Europe, expressed his support for their right to religious freedom, and called upon the international community not to remain silent regarding the Yazidi genocide.
July 2018: McCarrick resigned from the College of Cardinals
In July 2018, McCarrick resigned from the College of Cardinals following allegations of sexual misconduct.
October 2018: Ordered review of Church's decision-making related to McCarrick
In October 2018, Pope Francis ordered a review of the Church's "institutional knowledge and decision-making" related to McCarrick in response to the allegations of sexual misconduct.
2018: Acknowledged "grave errors" in judgement about Barros
In 2018, Pope Francis acknowledged he had made "grave errors" in judgement about Barros, apologized to the victims and launched a Vatican investigation that resulted in the resignation of three Chilean bishops: Barros, Gonzalo Duarte, and Cristián Caro.
2018: Papal tour of Ireland
In 2018, Pope Francis visited Ireland, marking the first papal tour of the country since John Paul II's historic trip in 1979. During the visit, he apologized for sexual abuses by clergy in the United States and Ireland.
2018: Controversial Rapprochement with China
In 2018, Pope Francis's efforts toward rapprochement with China sparked controversy. Cardinal Joseph Zen criticized the 2018 agreement as a step toward the "annihilation" of the Catholic Church in China, arguing that it "sold out" Chinese Catholics by accepting infringements on religious freedom and undermining the Vatican's spiritual authority.
2018: Vatican Deal with China
In 2018, The Vatican reached a deal with China regarding the appointment of Catholic bishops.
February 2019: Acknowledgment of Abuse and Clergy Sex Abuse Summit
In February 2019, Pope Francis acknowledged sexual abuse of religious sisters by priests and bishops. To address the clergy sex abuse scandal, he convened a summit on clergy sexual abuse in February 2019.
February 2019: Convened a summit on sexual abuse
In February 2019, Pope Francis convened a summit on sexual abuse organized by Hans Zollner.
May 2019: Promulgation of Vos estis lux mundi
On 9 May 2019, as a follow-up to the summit on clergy sexual abuse, Pope Francis promulgated the motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi, which specified responsibilities for reporting abuse directly to the Holy See, while involving another bishop in the archdiocese of the accused bishop.
December 2019: Abolished the "pontifical secrecy" privilege in sexual abuse cases
In December 2019, Pope Francis abolished the "pontifical secrecy" privilege in sexual abuse cases.
2019: Defrocked Theodore McCarrick
In 2019, Pope Francis defrocked Theodore McCarrick, a former archbishop of Washington, who maintained a prominent position in the church for decades despite repeated reports of sexual misconduct against him dating back to the 1980s.
2019: Lack of Consensus in First Commission on Women's Diaconate
In 2019, Pope Francis stated that the Study Commission on the Women's Diaconate, created in 2016, was unable to come to a consensus.
2019: Criticism During Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Protests
In 2019, during the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, Pope Francis was criticized for not taking a stand against China's repression. Instead, he was quoted saying, "I would like to go to China. I love China," and compared the protests in Hong Kong to those seen in Chile and France.
March 2020: Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis canceled regular general audiences, encouraged priests to visit patients and health workers, urged care for the poor, offered prayers for people with the virus, and invoked the Blessed Virgin Mary. He also reacted with displeasure to the closure of churches in the Diocese of Rome, pleading 'not to leave the ... people alone' and working to partially reverse the closures.
March 2020: Creation of Vatican COVID-19 Commission
On 20 March 2020, Pope Francis asked the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD) to create a Vatican COVID-19 Commission to listen to concerns and develop responses for the future.
April 2020: Empanelment of New Commission to Study Women's Diaconate
In April 2020, Pope Francis empaneled a new commission, led by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, with a new membership, to study the issue of women deacons.
November 2020: Authorized release of Vatican report on McCarrick's career
In November 2020, Francis authorized the release of the report of the Vatican's two-year investigation into McCarrick's career, which largely faulted Pope John Paul II.
June 2021: Publication of Pascite gregem Dei
On 1 June 2021, Pope Francis published the apostolic constitution Pascite gregem Dei. The document reformed Vatican penal law by strengthening the penalties for sexual abuse and financial crimes; it also more harshly punished the ordination of women.
July 2021: Issuance of Traditionis custodes
In July 2021, Pope Francis issued Traditionis custodes, reversing Benedict XVI's decision in Summorum Pontificum and imposing new restrictions on the use of the Traditional Latin Mass. The letter returned to the bishops the power to grant or ban the Latin Mass in their dioceses. Traditionis custodes has been criticized by prelates.
November 2021: Thanked journalists for uncovering child sexual abuse scandals
In November 2021, Pope Francis thanked journalists for their work uncovering child sexual abuse scandals in the church.
2021: Resignation Rumors
In 2021, Pope Francis's health problems prompted rumors that he might resign, which Francis dismissed.
February 2022: Response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine
In February 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Pope Francis visited the Russian embassy in Rome, an unprecedented action. He called Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to express "sorrow" and assured Sviatoslav Shevchuk that he would do everything to help end the conflict. The day after the invasion, the Pope called for peace.
July 2022: Apostolic Journey to Canada and Apology for Indigenous Abuse
In July 2022, Pope Francis made an apostolic journey to Canada, expressing sorrow, indignation, and shame over the church's abuse of Canadian Indigenous children in residential schools. He apologized for the church's role in 'projects of cultural destruction' and forced assimilation.
September 2022: Statements on Ukraine War and Arms Transfers
In September 2022, seven months into the war, Pope Francis stated that it was "licit" for Ukraine to defend itself but called for a negotiated settlement. He suggested arms transfers to Ukraine could be morally acceptable under certain conditions and recounted reports of atrocities inflicted upon Ukraine.
November 2022: French Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard admitted to abuse
In November 2022, French Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard admitted to having sexually abused a 14-year-old girl in the 1980s in Marseille.
November 2022: Vatican Accuses China of Violating Agreement
In November 2022, the Vatican publicly accused China of violating the agreement by installing John Peng Weizhao as an auxiliary bishop without Vatican approval.
2022: Use of Wheelchair
Since 2022, Pope Francis has publicly used a wheelchair due to persistent knee pain, which he acknowledged marked a "new, slower phase of his papacy".
February 2023: Resignation Speculation Dismissed
During his trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in February 2023, Pope Francis said that resignation was "not in his agenda at the moment", dismissing rumors about his potential resignation due to health problems.
April 2023: China Installs Bishop of Shanghai Without Approval
In April 2023, the Chinese government installed Joseph Shen Bin as bishop of Shanghai without Vatican approval.
December 2023: Issuance of Fiducia supplicans
In December 2023, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved by Pope Francis, issued Fiducia supplicans, a declaration to provide clarification and reforms on the Catholic Church's treatment of "irregular relationships", including allowing "spontaneous blessings" of same-sex couples.
2023: Apparent Rejection of Women Deacons
In interviews in late 2023, Pope Francis appeared to reject the idea of women deacons, saying that 'holy orders is reserved for men.'
January 2024: African Episcopal Conferences Reject Blessings for Same-Sex Couples
On January 11, 2024, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu announced that all episcopal conferences in Africa would reject blessings for same-sex couples, as proposed in Fiducia supplicans. This statement highlights the controversies surrounding the declaration.
2024: Vatican and China Renew Agreement
In 2024, The Vatican and the Chinese government renewed their agreement.
2024: Continued Rejection of Women Deacons
In interviews in 2024, Pope Francis appeared to reject the idea of women deacons, saying that 'holy orders is reserved for men.' Francis said that 'the fact that the woman does not access ministerial life is not a deprivation, because her place is much more important' and that women had a charism separate from 'the ministerial way.'
February 2025: Response to US Bishops on Nativism
In February 2025, Pope Francis responded to US bishops regarding nativism, criticizing the focus on solely family, community or national identity as "[introducing] an ideological criterion that distorts social life and imposes the will of the strongest".
February 2025: Hospitalization and Health Concerns
In February 2025, Pope Francis was hospitalized in Rome due to bronchitis, which was complicated by a polymicrobial infection and pneumonia. His condition was described as critical, and later it was announced he had early-stage kidney failure.
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