Pope Francis waves the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican after his election on March 13, 2013. (Credit: Associated Press.)
ROME – Since he was first elected ten years ago, Pope Francis has captivated the world not only with his simple style and familiar speech, but through his unique way of communicating through actions as well as words.
From his time as a Jesuit provincial in Argentina, the now-pope had already gained a reputation for his ability to invoke symbolic imagery to convey his message, and now as Pope Francis, his compelling symbolic gestures have captured the world’s attention, offering a clear image of how he envisions his role as the “servant of the servants of God,” and the mission and activity of the Church itself in the world.
As the Church and the world marks ten years of Pope Francis, here’s a look at some of the most iconic images of his papacy to date.
Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, March 13, 2013. (Credit: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File.)
Pope Francis, left, meets Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the helipad of the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo on March 23, 2013. (Credit: Associated Press.)
Pope Francis washes the foot of a prison inmate during the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at Rome’s Casal del Marmo prison for minors March 28, 2013, where he washed the feet of 12 young people of different nationalities and faiths, including at least two Muslims and two women, who are housed at the juvenile detention facility. (Credit: CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters.)
Pope Francis throwing a wreath in the sea in Lampedusa, Italy, on July 8, 2013, in memory of the many who drowned trying to reach Europe. (Credit: Vatican Media.)
Pope Francis embraces Vinicio Riva, 53, afflicted with neurofibromatosis, during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Nov. 6, 2013. (Credit: CNS/EPA/Claudio Peri.)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L), Pope Francis and Israeli President Shimon Peres (R) arrive for an invocation for peace in the Vatican Gardens June 8. (Credit: CNS photo/Paul Haring.)
Pope Francis drinks from a mate gourd, a traditional Argentine drink, that was offered by faithful in St. Peter’s Square on the occasion of the weekly general audience at the Vatican, Aug. 27, 2014. (Credit: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File.)
Pope Francis speaks to the United States Congress Sept. 24, 2015, during a visit to the US. (Credit: AP photo.)
Pope Francis opens the holy door of the Bangui cathedral in Central African Republic Nov. 29, 2015, to mark the start of the Holy Year of Mercy. (Credit: Vatican Media.)
Pope Francis, left, embraces Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill after signing a joint declaration on religious unity in Havana on Feb. 12, 2016. (Credit: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, Pool.)
Pope Francis leads a vigil in the Little Chapel of the Apparitions at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal May 12, 2017. (Credit: CNS photo/Paul Haring.)
Pope Francis talks with U.S. President Donald Trump during a private audience at the Vatican May 24, 2017. (Credit: CNS photo/Paul Haring.)
On November 19, 2017, Pope Francis hosted thousands of poor people, homeless, migrants and unemployed at the Vatican for lunch on his first World Day of the Poor. (Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini.)
Meeting of Pope Francis with the Bishops of Chile at the Vatican in May 2018 to discuss the situation of clerical abuse in the South American country. During that meeting, all of Chile’s bishops submitted their letters of resignation for a collective failure to properly handle the crisis. (Credit: Vatican Media.)
Pope Francis kneels to kiss the feet of South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit during a prayer retreat with opposition leaders in April 2019. (Credit: Associated Press.)
Left: Statue of the Amazon goddess Pachamama (Credit: ACI Prensa.) Right: Pope Francis speaks in the Vatican’s Synod Hall during the Synod of Bishops on the Amazon in October 2019. (Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA.)
Pope Francis gives his extraordinary blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) in an empty St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 27, 2020. The blessing was livestreamed because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Credit: CNS photo/Guglielmo Mangiapane, pool via Reuters.)
A photo released by the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani Office shows the meeting between Pope Francis, right, and Shiite Muslim leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, Iraq, Saturday, March 6, 2021. (Credit: Office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.)
Pope Francis puts on an indigenous headdress during a meeting with indigenous communities, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit, at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Catholic Church in Maskwacis, near Edmonton, Canada, Monday, July 25, 2022. While in Canada, he apologized for the Catholic Church past treatment of indigenous communities in the country. (Credit: Associated Press.)
Pope Francis touches the coffin of late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI after the funeral mass for Benedict in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. (Credit: Associated Press.)
