While changes within the Catholic Church typically take decades, if not centuries, the 12-year pontificate of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday, April 21, aged 88, was characterized by his intense desire to shift its priorities – from Europe to the entire world, from dogma to social and societal realities. He sought to engage with other religions and non-believers and to address the institution's deep-seated issues – poor governance, financial and sexual scandals – finally brought to light. In this way, the pope, who died the day after Easter Sunday, aligns with the legacy of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which, after World War II, opened Catholicism to the world, encouraged engagement with the underprivileged, promoted interreligious dialogue, and raised crucial questions about the role of women and priestly celibacy.
In each of these areas, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an Argentine son of Italian immigrants, the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Global South, left a significant mark, if not entirely changed the game. By introducing environmentalism into Catholic theological discourse with the encyclical Laudato si' (Praise be to You, 2015), he made a step comparable to his predecessor Leo XIII, who in 1891 integrated the social question.
His adherence to Church traditions did not prevent Francis from reaching out to same-sex couples and remarried divorcees. His defense of life extended beyond the condemnation of abortion, including advocacy for the economically marginalized, condemnation of arms sales, and rejection of the death penalty.
In an era marked by growing inequality and social violence, the former head of the Catholic Church will also be remembered as someone who placed the poor at the center of his discourse and lamented that an "unfettered pursuit of money rules." In times of nationalism and xenophobia, he strongly advocated for immigrants and refugees, condemning the "globalization of indifference" towards them.
Concerned with the institution's balance
During Francis's pontificate, the Church stopped sweeping some of its wrongdoings under the rug, such as the opacity of its finances and the dysfunctions of the Roman Curia, though without fully addressing them. Neither the central issue of the role of women, the ordination of married priests, nor the acceptance of same-sex couples – vigorously opposed by significant segments of the Church, particularly in Africa – saw concrete progress.
After initially hesitating to acknowledge the immense scandal of sexual abuse, the pope legitimized the voices of victims. However, he continued to refuse to recognize its systemic nature, keeping the scale of the issue, and sometimes even its reality, in the shadows in many regions of the world.
Concerned with the institution's balance, Francis managed a contradiction. While the Catholic Church is losing ground both in Europe and Latin America, the countries where it is gaining the most momentum, particularly in Africa, are also those most vigorously rejecting changes in matters of traditions and sexuality.
An apostle of kindness, more attentive to the plight of the poor than to moral norms, preferring openness to the world and listening to others over isolation, Pope Francis departs precisely as the forces opposing his choices are gaining strength, even prevailing in several regions, starting with the United States.
Ironically, the pontiff took his last breath shortly after briefly meeting with US Vice President JD Vance, a figurehead of Catholic reactionaries in the United States. Only time will tell if, beyond Francis's pontificate, the Roman Church will be able to permanently reject the identity impasse and conservative temptation present on all continents and so clearly opposed by the leader it has just lost.