Pope Francis served as pope from March 13, 2013, until his death on April 21, 2025, making his papacy approximately 12 years long
. He was the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the first Jesuit pope, as well as the first pope from Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere
. His 12-year tenure was longer than the average pontificate length of about 7.5 years for previous popes
