Irish Examiner view: Pope Francis left his mark on wider society

Restoring the credibility of the Church — not to mention its authority — was always going to be a tough ask for a man who was 76 when he was elected as the 267th head of the Catholic Church

As the first non-European pontiff since 741AD — and the first Jesuit ever to accede to the post — the Argentinian, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, rarely fitted the stereotypes that somehow always seemed to match the job profile.

The end came swiftly and unexpectedly and, in many ways, that summed up the reign of Pope Francis as the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church: He was rarely predictable. Only hours after addressing the faithful in Rome and weeks after being in intensive care with double pneumonia, he passed away suddenly.

As the first non-European pontiff since 741AD — and the first Jesuit ever to accede to the post — the Argentinian, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, rarely fitted the stereotypes that somehow always seemed to match the job profile.