Francis was a revolutionary but couldn't unite the Church

Pope Francis, who has died aged 88 after 12 years at the head of the Catholic Church, was probably the most famous Argentinian who ever lived.

- CATHERINE PEPINSTER

Born in 1936 as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis always understood the power of connecting with the public. “Ordinary people like a touch of Evita [the actress cum president’s wife Eva Peron],” he once said in his early days as a priest.

It was a perception that stood him in good stead throughout his tenure as Pope, and was apparent from the moment he stood on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome after his election as pontiff in March 2013. The cardinals went “to the ends of the Earth” to find a pope, he joked, and after asking the crowds to pray for him, he wished them a good night and a good sleep.

“Enjoy your lunch!” he used to say to people who gathered every week outside the basilica for the traditional Roman Catholic prayer, the Angelus.

After the formality of Benedict XVI, whom he succeeded, Francis seemed like a breath of fresh air. He lived in a simple residence rather than the apostolic palace, and got rid of the usual fancy furry cape and red shoes. But his papacy was about much more than style; there was substance, too.