Fr. Francesc Batle Pons was born in Loseta, Mallorca on October 29, 1933. Son of +Francisco Batle Ramón and +Margarita Pons Moyá. He was baptized on October 31, 1933 in the Parish of Lloseta and confirmed on May 11, 1934.
He received the Franciscan habit on August 15, 1948 in La Porciúncula and made his temporary Profession, after completing the year of Novitiate, in Artà on October 30, 1949. He made his solemn Profession in Rome on March 19, 1956 and there he received minor Orders between December 18, 1954 and February 6, 1955. He received the Subdiaconate on May 26, 1956 and the Diaconate on December 2 of the same year. On March 16, 1957 he was ordained a Priest in Rome by Bishop Nicolás Canino.
He studied Humanities in La Porciúncula and Philosophy in Inca. On June 19, 1953 he obtained the Higher Baccalaureate in Palma and, after having taken the necessary courses, he obtained a Licentiate in Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome on June 15, 1957. He graduated in Music at the Valencia Conservatory, July 30, 1962. He received a diploma in Sacred Music and Composition at the Academy of Music in Vienna, Austria on June 5, 1970.
At the beginning of the 1957-58 academic year, he was assigned to the Convent of Palma where he lived for eight years, serving as organist of the Basilica, secretary advisor, choir director and artistic advisor of the publication “El Heraldo de Cristo”.
In 1966, he was assigned to study in Vienna and returned to Mallorca in 1970. That year he was elected Provincial Secretary and local Minister of the Fraternity. He also served as organist and director of the Choir.
In the Chapter of 1973, he was elected 1st Definitor and local Minister of Palma and in the month of August he was appointed Delegate for the Congregation of Franciscan Religious Daughters of Mercy.
On December 30, 1973, M. Rev. Fr. Miguel Tous, Provincial Minister, died suddenly, so on January 2, 1974, Fr. Francesc Batle was appointed Provincial Custos. In 1977, he was elected Delegate to the General Chapter and on June 18 of the same year he was elected Provincial Minister.
On July 24, 1981, he was elected Provincial Definitor, appointed responsible for Personnel and Vicar of the Fraternity of Palma. On June 24, 1983, after the election of the Most Reverend Fr. José Angulo Quilis as Minister General, was appointed Provincial Minister by the new Father General.
In the Provincial Congregation of 1985, he was assigned to the Commissariat of Mexico as Counselor of the Commissariat and Teacher of Students. In the following Chapter (year 1989) he was elected Provincial Vicar and in the Congregation of the month of July, named local Minister of the Porziuncola. In May 1990 he was appointed Episcopal Vicar for Religious Life of the Diocese of Mallorca and in May of the same year he was appointed Master of Novices of the Province.
On April 2, 1993, he was elected Provincial Minister again, a position he held until 1997, when he was assigned to the Fraternity of San Francisco/La Piedad of Madrid as local Minister, Teacher of professed students and parish priest “in solidum”.
In 2005 he returned to Mallorca as local Minister of the Fraternity of San Francisco de Palma, Rector of the Basilica and administrator of the College and member of the CAE.
In the Congregation of the year 2009, he was assigned to the Fraternity of the Convent of San Buenaventura of Llucmajor as Vicar of the Fraternity and Rector of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Cura. He remained in said convent until the Provincial Congregation of 2017 when he was assigned again to the Convent of San Francisco de Palma.
On September 29, 2022, feeling weak, he asked to go to the Provincial Infirmary of Porciúncula, Mallorca. And became a gift to the fraternity and an exemplary patient.
On Tuesday, March 19, Saint Joseph’s Day, he felt ill, entered the clinic and after a series of complications he was visited by Sister Death the next day, March 20, at dawn. On Thursday, March 21, in the morning, the wake was held at the Son Valentí funeral home and in the afternoon at 7:30 p.m., the funeral Eucharist was celebrated in the Basilica of San Francisco in Palma de Mallorca, presided over by the Provincial Minister. Fr. Manuel Romero Jiménez, TOR. The burial took place at noon on Friday the 22nd in the Franciscan pantheon in the Palma cemetery.