Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, died on April 21st at age 88. His papacy, which began in 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, was defined not only by his focus on social justice but also by a deep engagement with contemporary art and artists.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Francis was the first-ever pope from the Americas and the first non-European to hold the position in over 1,200 years. A member of the Jesuit order, he was known for his advocacy on behalf of the poor, migrants, and the environment. He also made historic gestures toward inclusivity within the Church, including a more open stance toward LGBTQ+ individuals and women’s leadership.
Francis’s commitment to the arts was also notable. Under his leadership, the Vatican Museums expanded their engagement with living artists and contemporary discourse. In 2013, the Vatican participated for the first time in the Venice Biennale with a pavilion of the Holy See. A decade later, in 2024, Francis became the first pontiff to visit the Biennale in person, attending the Holy See’s presentation at the Giudecca women’s prison. The 2024 pavilion showed works by former nun and pop artist Corita Kent as well as contemporary provocateur Maurizio Cattelan.
“The world needs artists,” Francis said during that visit. “Art takes on the status of a ‘city of refuge’… to create forms of human belonging capable of recognizing, including, protecting and embracing everyone.” He urged artists to “imagine cities that do not yet exist on the maps: cities where no human being is considered a stranger.”
Francis also oversaw significant milestones in the Vatican Museums’ modern and contemporary art program. In 2016, he appointed Italian art historian Barbara Jatta as the institution’s first female director. In 2021, the Vatican Apostolic Library opened its first dedicated contemporary art gallery. In 2023, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vatican’s contemporary art collection, Francis welcomed more than 200 artists—including Andres Serrano and Anselm Kiefer—to the Sistine Chapel.
“You want to reveal reality also in its contradictions,” Francis told them. “Like the biblical prophets, you confront things that at times are uncomfortable.”
Even in his final months, Francis remained active in the art and culture space. On April 11th, he appeared inside St. Peter’s Basilica to meet with conservators who had just restored Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s tomb of Pope Urban VIII, a significant Baroque monument.
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