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Putting the pope in the spotlight, and above all not taking the spotlight himself: that was the mission of Francesco Sforza. While everyone in the Vatican's working community knew him, very few outside the Vatican knew the name of this man who invariably wore a black suit and tie, whether it was 32ºF or 110ºF, and who accompanied the pope in all his public activities.
Francesco Sforza joined the Vatican's photographic service in 1977. The pontificate of Paul VI was coming to an end in an atmosphere made painful by the Italian pontiff's physical decline, and by violent events, notably the kidnapping and execution of politician Aldo Moro.
The young photographer went on to work for 40 years in the shadow of the famous photographer Arturo Mari.
The precociousness and audacity of Arturo Mari
Until 2007, Sforza assisted Mari, who had been in the service of the popes since 1956 and was known for his strong personality, which sometimes challenged the Vatican's unspoken rules.
At the age of 16, Arturo Mari began photographing Pius XII and found himself at the center of an incident during the 1958 conclave. Eager to photograph the newly elected Pope John XXIII, Mari managed to break the seals of the conclave, which was still officially in session. However, he was quickly stopped by the cardinal chamberlain, the Frenchman Eugène Tisserant, who threatened him with excommunication. Shortly afterwards, he was forgiven by the good-natured John XXIII.
Neither excommunicated nor dismissed, Mari continued to climb the ranks, becoming the official photographer of the popes in 1977. He accompanied John Paul II in all his activities, notably offering the international media all the photos taken during the assassination attempt on May 13, 1981, free of charge.
The photos show his discreet young assistant, Francesco Sforza, who kept his cool despite the dramatic nature of the event and helped document this painful but significant page in the history of the pontificate.
Still alive today, Arturo Mari, now 85, remains one of the great witnesses to the pontificate of John Paul II. He has willingly shared his experiences in interviews, conferences, and numerous books.
The least visible of the Sforzas
Conversely, his successor, who took office in 2007, has always been very discreet. A Google search for “Francesco Sforza” does not lead to him, but to his famous namesake who was Duke of Milan from 1450 to 1466.
An amusing detail: two other Francesco Sforzas were cardinals: one created by Paul V in 1618, the other by Alexander VII in 1657. These namesakes lived long before the age of the image, but they left a stronger digital footprint than the photographer of the popes.
Covering the last six years of Benedict XVI's pontificate, the entirety of Pope Francis' pontificate, and the first months of Pope Leo XIV, the official photographer of the pontiffs has always sought to hide himself as much as possible behind the figure of the pope.
It would be tedious to count the number of photos taken by Francesco Sforza. The count would amount to several million, since each handshake results in several shots taken in rapid succession. They’re then put up for sale on the Vatican Media website.
Among his most famous and moving photos is that of the first meeting between the then new Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the Castel Gandolfo heliport on March 23, 2013.
Ten days after the election of the Argentine pontiff, for the first time in the history of the Church, two “men in white” met, far from the fratricidal rivalries of the past between popes and antipopes. Making the continuity and unity between the popes clearly visible was one of the missions of their photographer.
Unfailing patience
Always carrying several cameras hanging around his neck with heavy telephoto lenses, Francesco Sforza showed unwavering patience, even in the face of unfavorable weather or logistical challenges. His respect and love for the figure of the pope was also evident in the way he remained modestly in the background, intuitively knowing which moments should not be documented.
This was the case when Pope Francis struggled to put on his liturgical vestments on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica for Palm Sunday Mass on April 10, 2022, one of the last Masses that the Argentine pontiff was able to celebrate standing at the altar.
A father to the 'papal family'
Without waiting for the end of the Jubilee, this member of the “papal family” has now chosen to retire quietly and enjoy a well-deserved retirement. The editorial director of Vatican Media, Andrea Tornielli, posted a tribute on social media:
…The whole world entered his lens, which he wielded with such skill. But he always remained discreet, in the shadows. His presence was crucial, above all for his colleagues, to whom he was a true father. And also for all those he met during nearly half a century spent in the Vatican in the service of the popes: always ready to help, whether the urgent request came from a superior in the Curia or a complete stranger.
A new photographer, Simone Risoluti, was previously Francesco Sforza's assistant. Still little known to the general public, he will accompany Pope Leo XIV on his first international trip, to Turkey and Lebanon, from November 27 to December 2.
