In South America, Pope Francis' allies hope his reforms will endure

Argentine priest and former spokesperson of Pope Francis, then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, now Guillermo Marco, poses for a photo at his office, following Francis' death, in Buenos Aires, Argentina February 21, 2025. REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentine priest Guillermo Marcó, a close ally to Pope Francis and his spokesman for years when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, is confident that the pontiff's drive to open up and modernize the Catholic Church will endure after his death.

Pope Francis died on Monday, aged 88, of a stroke and heart failure, with his funeral set to take place on Saturday. A new pope will be elected in the coming weeks, although for now there is no clear frontrunner to succeed him.