Pope Francis, pontiff who pushed church boundaries — but didn’t break them

Pope Francis, the Argentinian pontiff who brought the plight of the world’s most marginalised back to the centre of the Roman Catholic Church’s attention, has died aged 88, the Vatican announced on Monday.A charismatic communicator with a friendly demeanour, Francis succeeded in broadening Catholicism’s appeal at a time of growing disenchantment towards the Church, an institution embroiled in financial and sexual scandals.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2‘We are all children of God’: Pope says homosexuality not a crimelist 2 of 2Map: What countries has Pope Francis visited?end of listThroughout his papacy from 2013 to 2025, the pope stripped the Vatican of some layers of opacity and connected with the concerns of common people. He highlighted the plight of the poor and that of prisoners.Francis condemned the Church’s abuse of power while engaging with other faiths.Francis’s tone marked a radical departure from his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who believed that nurturing the...