The news of the death of Pope Francis early on Easter Monday came as a shock to the world. After serving for 12 years as the successor of St. Peter, Francis has gone to God, bringing to an end a dramatic chapter in the history of the Church and the Society of Jesus.

Francis brought a unique set of gifts and perspectives to the papacy. While being firmly rooted in Catholic tradition, he never fitted easily into any camp, and he had an uncanny ability to draw praise and criticism from all sides.

In this short series on the life of Pope Francis, Fr Niall talks to Jesuit author and theologian Fr Gerry Whelan SJ about some of the major experiences of Jorge Maria Bergoglio’s Jesuit life: his spiritual experiences as a novice, his pastoral experiences living close to the poor, and his intellectual formation as a Jesuit scholastic.

In this episode, Fr Gerry brings us back to the Argentina of the 1950s and 60s, and presents the spiritual and intellectual currents of that place and time that shaped the young Bergoglio into the man who would go on to break the mould.

Pope Francis was a true son of Ignatius. With St Ignatius and all the saints, may he share in the glory of the Divine Majesty forevermore.