A man walks past a mural of Pope Francis in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 19 as the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires calls on all churches in Argentina, the pope's native country, to hold Masses for the pontiff’s quick recovery. Francis returned home to the Vatican March 23 after five weeks in the hospital. (OSV News/Reuters/Pedro Lazaro Fernandez)
by Christopher White
Vatican Correspondent
Rome — April 2, 2025
In 1990, as Argentina's Jesuits were divided over the church's role in the country's politics and society, frustration with the future Pope Francis' leadership style resulted in his two-year exile in Cordoba. Then-Fr. Jorge Mario Bergoglio used his solitary time in a Jesuit residence to pray, write and read — including a five-volume series on the history of the papacy.
Francis later would describe his "dark night of the soul" as a "time of purification" for his inner life.
Three decades after that spiritual crisis — at age 88 — Francis is facing another spiritual crossroads as he recovers from his most serious physical challenge. His five weeks hospitalized for double pneumonia that twice nearly cost him his life provided time to reflect on his life thus far and what he hopes to accomplish before he dies.
'He has a great ability to learn from life, from whatever comes, to grasp beauty even in dark moments. … I am sure that something very beautiful will come out of this experience.'
—Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez
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In his March 30 Sunday Angelus reflection, Francis alluded to his illness, encouraging the entire church to view the current Lenten season as a time of healing.
"I too am experiencing it this way, in my soul and in my body," he wrote, saying that his health was improving.
