“With dignity, but like any Christian, because the bishop of Rome is a pastor and a disciple, not a powerful man of this world.”

That’s part of the instructions from Pope Francis to “lighten” the formality of his funeral arrangements. Francis wrote about his wish for a simpler ceremony in his autobiography, published earlier this year. 

The attitude reflected his wish that the church move closer to regular people and its mission of serving the marginalized, including migrants and the poor. 

Pope Francis died this morning at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. He was 88.

He was a unique figure in Catholic history. He was the first Latin American pontiff, having been a Cardinal in Argentina.

And he was a decided pivot from the previous leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI. Where Pope Benedict was a traditionalist prior to stepping down from the position, Pope Francis spent his years pushing for a more inclusive vision of the Catholic Church.

He was also the first member of the Jesuit order to be elected to the papacy. 

Guest:

• Dr. Catherine Punsalan-Manlimos, Vice President for Mission Integration at Seattle University

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.