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Pope Francis, the 266th Bishop of Rome and the first pontiff from the Americas, has passed away at the age of 88, bringing to an end one of the most eventful, transformative, and controversial papacies in modern Catholic history. His tenure, which began in March 2013 after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, was marked by sweeping reforms, pastoral outreach, and a deep engagement with global political and social issues.
While he was hailed as a champion of the poor, the environment, and interfaith dialogue, Pope Francis was also criticized for theological ambiguity, a centralization of Church authority despite his promotion of synodality, and an at-times unpredictable governance style. His legacy will be complex, reflecting both his efforts to modernize certain aspects of the Church and the divisions that arose under his leadership.
An unconventional pontiff
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1936, Pope Francis was the first Jesuit pope, the first from Latin America, and the first to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi. His election represented a decisive break from the Eurocentric tradition of the papacy, signaling a shift toward a Church that sought to be more globally inclusive.
From the outset, Francis sought to present a more humble and accessible image of the papacy. He chose to live in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta rather than the Apostolic Palace, preferred simpler vestments, and frequently spoke of the need for a “poor Church for the poor.”
Highlights of the papacy
Timothy S. Flanders, editor-in-chief of One Peter Five, a website highly critical of Pope Francis, published in early 2024 a list of “13 good things Pope Francis has done.”
Among them:
- More Marian feast days
- The Year of St. Joseph
- Strong rhetoric against abortion
- The promotion of intergenerational communities, particularly with his attention to elderly populations
- The Consecration of Russia
- The decree of protection for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter
- Canon Law against female ordination
Pope Francis consistently placed the poor and marginalized at the heart of his pontificate, embodying the Gospel’s call to serve “the least of these.” From the very beginning, he signaled a renewed focus on the poor, calling the Church a “field hospital” that tends to the wounds of the suffering and that needs to go “to the peripheries.”
He also made personal, concrete gestures of sympathy towards the needy, personally reaching out to the homeless in Rome by establishing initiatives to provide showers, medical care, and shelter; reaching out to children, prisoners, the sick, and other groups that are increasingly ignored by society.
Pastoral approach over doctrinal precision
One of the defining characteristics of Pope Francis’ theological approach was his emphasis on mercy and pastoral accompaniment. His landmark document Amoris Laetitia (2016), which addressed issues of family and marriage, stirred significant controversy, particularly regarding its ambiguous stance on communion for divorced and remarried Catholics. The document was praised for its pastoral sensitivity but was also criticized for creating doctrinal uncertainty.
Similarly, his repeated calls for the Church to “go to the peripheries” and his focus on synodality—a more consultative and decentralized approach to Church governance—were seen by supporters as necessary steps toward reform but by critics as a weakening of traditional authority structures. His restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass through Traditionis Custodes (2021) were defended as a move to unify the Church under a single liturgical expression, but were also met with resistance, not only from traditionalist communities, but by many others who saw it as an unnecessary punishment against those whom Pope Francis perceived as opposing his pontificate.
While Francis did not change official Church doctrine on sexuality, his pastoral approach, including his well-known “Who am I to judge?” remark, signaled a shift in tone. The 2023 document Fiducia Supplicans allowed for blessings of individuals in same-sex relationships, fueling debate over whether it represented a doctrinal development or a pastoral accommodation.
Curial reform & Vatican administration
Pope Francis’ reforms extended beyond theology into the structural governance of the Church. He undertook major financial and administrative reforms in the Vatican, attempting to clean up long-standing issues related to corruption and financial mismanagement. His apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium (2022) overhauled the Roman Curia, restructuring key Vatican departments to emphasize evangelization over doctrine. However, his governance style was often criticized by Vatican analysts as erratic, with frequent personnel changes and a tendency to centralize decision-making despite his stated goal of decentralization.
His handling of internal Church discipline also drew scrutiny. While he took a strong stance against clerical sexual abuse, his inconsistent approach in dealing with accusations against certain bishops and clergy led to accusations of selective enforcement. His dealings with figures such as former U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Argentinian Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, or Fr. Marko Rupnik left many questioning whether his promised reforms in this area were fully realized.
A global Pope: travel, diplomacy, and political engagement
Francis followed Pope St. John Paul II as one of the most well-traveled popes in history, making over 40 apostolic journeys to more than 50 countries. His visits to war-torn and impoverished regions, including Iraq, South Sudan, and Myanmar, underscored his commitment to peace and reconciliation. He was the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula, where he signed the “Document on Human Fraternity” with Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb in 2019, promoting interfaith dialogue. Nevertheless, some interpreted the signing of the document as a watering down of the Catholic doctrine that there is no salvation outside of the Church.
His engagement with global politics was extensive. He was a vocal advocate for climate action, issuing Laudato Si’ (2015), which called for urgent environmental stewardship. His economic views, often critical of capitalism, emphasized the dangers of wealth inequality and consumerism.
Unlike his predecessors, Pope Francis was frequently outspoken about specific political issues, including the war in Ukraine, the war in Gaza, and the plight of migrants – a hallmark of a pope whose first travel outside of Rome was to the Italian island of Lampedusa to highlight the sufferings of migrants and asylum seekers. His comments, however, were not without controversy, especially regarding the balance between the right to migrate and the right of states to regulate their borders.
Shortly before his death, Pope Francis sent a strongly worded letter to the U.S. Bishops criticizing the Trump administration’s stance on migrants and calling the president’s pledge of mass deportations “a major crisis.” Even though he was not named, the letter was perceived as criticizing Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, for his recent remarks on the Catholic concept of the ordo amoris (order of love) and immigration, making Vance one of the very few sitting Catholic politicians criticized by Pope Francis.
The Pope’s diplomatic efforts were not without controversy either. His 2018 agreement with China on the appointment of bishops was widely seen as a concession to the persecutory and officially atheistic Chinese Communist Party, leading to concerns about the suppression of the underground Church. His reluctance to forcefully condemn regimes such as those in Venezuela and Nicaragua also led to accusations that he was hesitant to confront authoritarian leaders when political considerations were at stake.
A contested legacy
Pope Francis leaves behind a divided Church, a consequence not only of his actions, but also of the rise of social media and its ability to multiply and intensify controversy. To his supporters, he was a pope who prioritized mercy over judgment, sought to bring the Church closer to the marginalized, and emphasized the social mission of Catholicism in an increasingly secular world. To his critics, he was a disruptor who reopened debates already settled by his two predecessors, introduced confusion where clarity was needed, weakened Church discipline, and fostered polarization with his words and actions when unity and deescalation were needed
His papacy will be remembered as a turning point – whether for renewal or rupture remains a matter of debate. His successors will face the challenge of addressing the tensions that his reforms created, either solidifying his vision for the Church or steering it toward the vision of “renewal in continuity” shared by Pope St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI.