Pope Francis died Monday at the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta, one day after Easter, marking the end of his controversial 12-year pontificate and demonstrating the eternal leadership of Jesus Christ as the true head of the church.
The 88-year-old pontiff had been battling respiratory issues in recent months and appeared visibly frail during his final public appearance at Easter Mass just hours before his death.
The passing of Pope Francis on the day after Easter serves as a poignant reminder that while earthly authorities come and go, Christ has conquered death once for all. As Christians worldwide just celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, we're reminded that Christ alone sits at the right hand of God the Father and will judge the living and the dead.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, led the Roman Catholic Church during a period of significant change and controversy. His progressive approach to cultural issues like climate change, immigration, and LGBTQ+ contradicted the Bible and traditional Christian teaching.
Ecclesiastes 3:20 reminds believers that “All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.” The pope's death underscores this biblical truth about human mortality that applies equally to all people regardless of earthly position.
The College of Cardinals will now convene within the next two weeks to elect a successor, but many Protestant theologians see this transition moment as an opportunity for reflection on church governance.
This transition offers Catholics a chance to reconsider the biblical model of church leadership. Scripture clearly teaches that Christ alone is the head of the church. The idea of a single human vicar of Christ on earth contradicts the direct access to God that Jesus secured for all believers through His sacrifice.
The Catholic Church now faces crucial decisions about its future direction. Francis pushed for ideological changes that made Rome a promoter of “liberation theology.” His successor will determine whether to continue this progressive approach or direct a return to a more Biblical position.
As cardinals prepare to choose the 267th pope, the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:23 should be headed: “Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.”
While this papal transition unfolds, believers should focus their prayers on the true church of Christ—not an earthly institution but the body of all faithful believers who hold to Scripture as their final authority. The ultimate hope found in Scripture remains—that the kingdom of Jesus Christ will eventually cover the earth “as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).
The resurrection celebrated at Easter stands as the unshakable foundation of this hope, proclaiming that Christ is making all things new and that one day all people “will fear the Lord from the greatest to the least” (Jeremiah 31:34). No human leader can take His place as the true and eternal head of the church, whose reign will ultimately be acknowledged by all creation.
