Sarah Mitchell
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, led a Catholic life that was marked by a commitment to reshaping the Catholic Church into a more inclusive institution. He advocated for migrants, the marginalised, and the vulnerable, and took action on issues such as the death penalty, nuclear weapons, and climate change. Pope Francis also promoted unity between Catholics, non-Catholics, and non-Christians, and made strides in addressing the Church's sexual abuse crisis. He had a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors, choosing simpler vestments and residing in a guesthouse instead of the papal apartments. In terms of theology, Pope Francis emphasised God's mercy and encouraged dialogue and mutual growth between people of different faiths.
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What You'll Learn
Pope Francis's commitment to migrants and the marginalised
Pope Francis was committed to reshaping the Catholic Church into a more inclusive institution, advocating for migrants and the marginalised. He was the first Latin American pontiff and bishop of Rome, and served as the spiritual leader to over a billion Roman Catholics worldwide.
Francis was known for his less formal approach to the papacy. He chose to reside in the Vatican hotel, wore his old shoes, and used compact cars. He also took a less formal approach to the church's teachings, making significant changes in areas such as the death penalty, nuclear weapons, and the church's stance on divorced and civilly married Catholics. He also allowed ordinary priests to absolve Catholic women who had terminated their pregnancies.
Francis was a critic of trickle-down economics, consumerism, and overdevelopment. He made action on climate change a leading focus of his papacy, becoming the first pope to use scientific data in a major teaching document. He called for a broad change in the "irresponsible lifestyle connected with the Western model". During his time as pope, the Vatican hosted conferences with mayors, religious leaders, money managers, and oil companies to find solutions.
Advocating for migrants was one of Francis's priorities as pope. He supported US Bishops in migrant advocacy, expressing his support for their efforts to protect the rights and dignity of migrants and refugees. He urged the bishops to remain steadfast in their work, encouraging them to promote solidarity and compassion. He also criticised the focus on solely family, community, or national identity, stating that it "introduces an ideological criterion that distorts social life and imposes the will of the strongest". Francis also reversed Benedict's relaxation of restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass, stating that it was becoming a source of division in the church.
In his final public address, Francis touched on the issue of migration, lamenting the contempt stirred up towards the vulnerable, the marginalised, and migrants. He also focused on migrants' rights in his final remarks the day before he died.
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His focus on climate change and the environment
Pope Francis was known for his focus on climate change and the environment. He was a critic of overdevelopment and consumerism, and made action on climate change a leading focus of his papacy. In 2015, he issued the papal encyclical Laudato Si' (meaning "Praise Be to You"), which addresses the climate crisis and champions environmental stewardship. In it, he calls global warming a largely human-caused problem and calls for a broad change in the "irresponsible lifestyle connected with the Western model". He specifically called out the United States, pointing out that its per-person emissions were twice those of China and seven times those of the world's poorest countries.
Pope Francis saw cooperation among governments as key to addressing climate change. During his time as pope, the Vatican hosted conferences with mayors, religious leaders, money managers, and oil companies to find solutions. The teachings of Laudato Si' have been taken up by Catholics worldwide, with several Catholic institutions divesting from fossil fuels in the years after its publication. One of the most significant expressions of Laudato Si' has been the church's work in the Amazon basin.
Pope Francis's focus on the environment extended to his personal life as well. He was known for his simple lifestyle, choosing to reside in a guesthouse rather than the papal apartments and wearing simpler vestments devoid of ornamentation.
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His efforts to improve relations with Islam
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, has been credited with making significant efforts to improve relations between Catholics and Muslims. His papacy was marked by a commitment to interfaith dialogue and a strong stance against Islamophobia.
Pope Francis consistently rejected the narrative that linked extremist violence to Islam, making it clear that such generalizations were not only harmful but also inaccurate. In a 2016 address, he stated:
> I don’t like to speak of Islamic violence because every day when I open the newspapers I see acts of violence here in Italy. Someone who hypothetically believes in Allah commits an act of violence, but a Catholic who does not pay his employees their due also commits an act of violence.
Pope Francis forged ties with Sunni and Shiite religious leaders, emphasizing a shared commitment to peace, solidarity, and dialogue. He was the first pope to visit both the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq, the birthplace of Abraham, who is important to Christians, Muslims, and Jews. During his visit to the Arabian Peninsula in 2019, he offered an image of the Church seeking to build bridges and deepen relations with other religions. While in Iraq, he met with the country's top Shiite cleric and a revered figure in the Shiite world, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Pope Francis also signed a landmark document on the need for greater human fraternity with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning in Cairo. This document, known as the 'Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together', also called the Abu Dhabi Declaration, ushered in a new era of relations between Catholics and Muslims. It was an appeal to reject violence and extremism and to promote tolerance and fraternity. The Pope also wrote an encyclical dedicated to Sheikh Al-Tayeb, titled 'Fratelli tutti'.
In addition to his efforts in the Middle East, Pope Francis also made meaningful moments with other religions, including Buddhists, during his visits to Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Mongolia. He also had a close relationship with the Jewish community, exemplified by his longstanding friendship with Rabbi Abraham Skorka in Argentina.
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His stance on abortion and euthanasia
Pope Francis has been vocal about his anti-abortion stance, calling on Christians to take the side of unborn children. He has urged Christian leaders to set an example by forgiving debts and protecting life from conception to natural death. He has also emphasised that abortion is never the answer that women and families are seeking. He has referred to abortion as "hiring a hitman to solve a problem" and sparked outrage by criticising Belgium's abortion law as "homicidal".
Pope Francis has also been explicit in his condemnation of euthanasia, stating that it is “always wrong" as its intent is to end life and cause death. He has signed declarations condemning the rollout of euthanasia programs and the language used by advocates, which claims that it supports a person's dignity. He has emphasised that suffering does not cause the loss of dignity, and that death should be welcomed, not administered. The Pope has also approved letters reiterating the Catholic Church's stance against euthanasia and assisted suicide, such as "Samaritanus bonus" ("The Good Samaritan"), which advocates for support for families and healthcare workers.
Pope Francis has consistently emphasised the Catholic Church's teachings on the sanctity of human life, both in the context of abortion and euthanasia. He has called for a “firm commitment" to protect and respect life, urging Christians to foster a "civilization of love" that frees women from the pressure to seek abortion. He has also prayed for those who promote human life and asked for prayers for his health.
In his messages, Pope Francis has addressed the complexities of medical care and the ethical standpoint that it is completely different from euthanasia, which aims to end life. He has clarified that not adopting or suspending disproportionate measures is ethically distinct from euthanasia and does not equate to causing death.
The Pope's stance on abortion and euthanasia aligns with the Catholic Church's consistent teachings on the value of human life, the evil of abortion, and the intrinsic wrongness of euthanasia.
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His approach to the Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis
Pope Francis's approach to the Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis has been described as "troubled" and "insufficient", with survivors of clergy sexual abuse expressing disappointment in his response. While some observers have praised his empathy and attentiveness towards victims, others have criticised his failure to enact global change in canon law that prohibits priests from serving in ministry when they have been proven guilty of sexual abuse.
Early in his papacy, Francis created a sex abuse commission to advise the church on best practices, placing Cardinal Sean O'Malley in charge. However, the commission lost influence over time, and its key recommendation—the creation of a tribunal to judge bishops who covered up abuse—was never implemented.
In 2018, Francis faced intense criticism for defending Chilean Bishop Juan Barros, who had been accused of covering up the crimes of Chile's most notorious paedophile, Rev. Fernando Karadima. Francis's initial response was to deny the allegations, stating that there was "not one shred of proof" against Barros. However, he later commissioned an investigation, apologised to the victims, and removed Barros from his position.
In 2019, Francis took further action to address the sexual abuse crisis, summoning the heads of bishops' conferences from around the world to the Vatican. He changed church law to remove the "pontifical secret" covering abuse cases and passed a law requiring church personnel to report allegations internally. He also removed Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, an influential American cleric, after allegations of sexual misconduct against him were found to be credible.
Overall, while Pope Francis made efforts to address the Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis, his response was seen by some as falling short of the comprehensive reform that many had hoped for.
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Frequently asked questions
Pope Francis was known for having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors. He chose to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse and favoured simpler vestments devoid of ornamentation. He also took a less rigid approach to the administration of the Eucharist, allowing divorced and civilly married Catholics to receive Communion.
Pope Francis brought many reforms to the Catholic Church, including promoting unity between Catholics, non-Catholics, and non-Christians, and making inroads with Muslims and believers who felt marginalised. He also issued the papal encyclical Laudato si’ in 2015, which addresses the climate crisis and champions environmental stewardship.
Pope Francis was a critic of trickle-down economics, consumerism, and overdevelopment. He also focused on migrants' rights, income equality, and the rights of LGBTQ+ Catholics. He was an advocate for the vulnerable, the marginalised, and migrants, and described the focus on solely family, community, or national identity as "introducing] an ideological criterion that distorts social life and imposes the will of the strongest".
Pope Francis made significant strides in addressing the Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis. He issued historic apologies to survivors of clergy sexual abuse and tackled the Church's murky financial culture.
