Inside Vatican City: Pope Francis' Life & Legacy
Vatican City, April 21, 2025 / 16:58 pm. Did Pope Francis, a figure of unprecedented simplicity, truly redefine the papacy, even in death? The answer lies in his profound rejection of the traditional trappings of power, a choice that continues to resonate long after his passing. Following Pope Francis death at age 88 on Easter Monday, the Vatican carried out the first stage in the papal funeral rites, called "the rite of the...".
Within the vastness of the Apostolic Palace lies a world of tradition, a place where the papacy's legacy is etched into every stone. This includes the papal apartment, the Pope's actual living quarters. This apartment is on the top floor of the palace and includes a bedroom, private study, chapel, and small dining room. But this was not where Pope Francis lived while he was alive. A look at the papal apartments reveals a stark contrast to the man himself, a contrast that speaks volumes about his papacy. Live updates continually followed the life of Pope Francis.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Jorge Mario Bergoglio |
| Born | December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Died | Easter Monday, 2025 (age 88) |
| Education | Master's in Chemistry, Philosophical and Theological studies |
| Ordained | Priest: December 13, 1969 Bishop: June 27, 1992 Cardinal: February 21, 2001 Pope: March 13, 2013 |
| Previous Positions | Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus in Argentina (1980-1986) Archbishop of Buenos Aires (1998-2013) Cardinal (2001-2013) |
| Papal Name | Francis |
| Significant Actions & Initiatives | Emphasized mercy, social justice, and environmental protection. Reformed the Vatican Bank and curial structure. Focused on dialogue with other religions and cultures. Oversaw the Synod on the Family. Visited numerous countries, prioritizing the poor and marginalized. Issued several significant documents, including Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). |
| Legacy | Known for his humility, pastoral approach, and efforts to modernize the Church. Often referred to as the "People's Pope" due to his outreach to ordinary people. He has profoundly influenced the role of the papacy in the 21st century. |
| Reference | Vatican Website - Biography of Pope Francis |
"Francis immediately went on a much simpler and essential style," he explained as he cut the fabric for a bishops garment in his historic workshop, steps away from the Vatican. When he became Pope in 2013, Francis decided not to live in the lavish, baroque papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter's Square. Instead, he chose a much more modest residence. The Apostolic Palace, a symbol of papal power for centuries, held little appeal for a man who preferred the humility of service.
The news of his death was delivered with solemnity. To break the sad news of the Pope's passing, senior Vatican official, Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell, wrote: "At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the father." The official announcement marked the beginning of a period of mourning and reflection, a time to remember the life and legacy of a man who challenged the status quo in many ways.
The Vatican City has been the stage for a remarkable transition. It will host a new tourist route, requested by Pope Francis, with access for the first time to the former papal apartments of the "House of the Bishop of Rome." The new complex is now nearly ready to welcome visitors, offering a glimpse into the opulent world that Francis chose to forego. This decision was not merely symbolic. It was a deliberate act, a statement about what he believed was truly important in the papacy.
Pope Francis has declined to use the palazzo in Castel Gandolfo, the traditional summer residence of the popes. Similarly, he made the conscious choice not to move into the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, preferring instead to stay in a suite in the Vatican guesthouse where he had been since the beginning of the conclave that elected him. This guesthouse, the Casa Santa Marta, became his home. A Vatican spokesman confirmed that Pope Francis had decided not to move into the papal apartment used by Benedict XVI and others before him, preferring instead to stay in a simple suite at a Vatican hotel. The contrast between the opulent surroundings of the Apostolic Palace and the simplicity of Casa Santa Marta speaks volumes.
A peek inside daily life at the Casa Santa Marta revealed a different side of the papacy. Casa Santa Marta, the residence where Pope Francis chose to live rather than residing in the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, in a much more accessible setting. Vatican City (RNS) with his move to a Vatican guesthouse, Pope Francis becomes the first pope since 1903 not to live in the regal papal apartment that overlooks St. Peter's Square. He embraced a life of simplicity, sharing meals with others and eschewing the traditional trappings of power. His choices offered a powerful message about the values he held dear: humility, service, and a connection with the everyday lives of the faithful.
Pope Francis has once again bucked tradition by opening his exclusive papal vacation apartments for public viewing. The Apostolic Palace at Castel Gandolfo, for centuries the summer residence and a place of rest for pontiffs, is now accessible to a wider audience. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo, presided over the rite in the chapel of Pope Francis Vatican residence, the Casa Santa Marta, just a little over 12 hours after the pontiffs death, at a time of immense grief and transition. Pope Francis enters the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
On March 26, 2013, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis would not move into the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace. He was the first pope not to live in the papal apartments on the third floor of the Apostolic Palace since Pope Pius X occupied them in 1903. Rather, he used the palace suite. Traditionally the Pope lives in the papal apartments for ten months of the year. In July and August, the Pope goes to his residence in Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome. Although it is custom for the pope to move into the papal apartments at the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis refused this right after he was elected in 2013.
Pope Francis chose to stay at Domus Santa Marta, a glorified Vatican bed and breakfast, rather than the Vaticans Apostolic Palace on his doorstep. The pope's private office in Castel Gandolfo remained a place of reflection and work. Vatican City (CNS) Pope Francis has decided not to move into the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, but to live in a suite in the Vatican guesthouse where he has been since the beginning of the conclave that elected him, said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman. Pope Francis during a mass in the chapel of the papal apartment at the Gemelli Hospital where he is hospitalized with pneumonia.
Stairs lead to the pope's private apartment at Castel Gandolfo near Rome on October 12, 2013. His rejection of the papal apartments was a clear signal of his priorities, a deliberate departure from the traditions of the past. It was a way of signaling that the papacy should be about service, not power, and about connecting with the people, not isolating oneself in luxury. Photo by Handout / Vatican Media/AFP via Getty Imag article content.
The funeral rites themselves, the "rite of the," were a solemn occasion, reflecting the profound respect for the deceased pontiff. These rituals, steeped in tradition, marked the beginning of the final farewell. The Vatican, a city-state that is both a place of immense history and of constant evolution, prepared to honor the passing of a Pope who had sought to change the way the world viewed the papacy.
The legacy of Pope Francis extends far beyond the walls of the Vatican. It is a legacy of humility, of simplicity, and of a deep commitment to the marginalized. It is the legacy of a Pope who dared to challenge the status quo, to embrace a different way of being a leader. His choices, from the rejection of the papal apartments to his outreach to the poor and vulnerable, defined his papacy. His death, and the traditions that followed, served as a testament to his impact on the church and the world.
As the world mourned the loss of a spiritual leader, the contrast between the traditional pomp and the Pope's own preferences offered a powerful lesson about the meaning of true leadership. The decision to live a simple life, rejecting the opulence of the papal apartments, has been noted repeatedly, even on the day of his funeral. In a world often defined by power and privilege, Pope Francis showed that humility and service are the greatest virtues of all.
The details of the Apostolic Palace, with its history and grandeur, stood in stark contrast to the choice that the Pope made daily, and at a time when people wanted to know who he was and how he lived.
