The News
Pope Francis, who led the Roman Catholic Church for more than a decade, died on Monday at the age of 88.
Defined by his humble approach to leadership and his openness to reform, Francis courted controversy among more conservative strains of the Church. Meanwhile, some critics derided him for not going far enough to reshape an institution that had been rocked by scandals shortly before he took up his papacy.
Now will begin the highly secretive ritual of choosing a new pope to lead the 1.37 billion global Catholics: With dwindling congregants in Europe, and growing numbers in Africa, as well as increased conservatism amongst wealthy US believers, the Church may be on the brink of a significant pivot from the liberal changes pushed by Francis.
SIGNALS
A reformer who sought to take worship to the streets
Pope Francis’ tenure was defined by a desire to reform the Church, which had been left in “disarray” by 2013: The stunning resignation of his conservative predecessor, Benedict XVI, and a major child sex abuse scandal that came to define the Church in the 2000s, meant that Pope Francis sought to become a “change agent,” The New York Times wrote. The first Jesuit and South American to take up the role, he believed that the Church had become navel-gazing, opulent, and Eurocentric, and sought to create a “poor church and a church for the poor.” However, Francis’ “avuncular charm and easy smile” belied a formidable leader, whose “purposefully unpredictable governing style” frustrated the Italian old guard in the Vatican, The Times wrote.
Critics thought Francis didn’t go far enough
While Pope Francis was known as a progressive leader with a distinctly youthful following — he had been about to canonize the first millennial saint — critics believed he didn’t go far enough in his reforms: His attempt to address the child abuse scandal was often “clumsy,” The Economist wrote, and his apologies failed to impress the press or victims. A “disappointment for many Catholics,” the progressive National Catholic Reporter argued, was that despite later attempts at change, Pope Francis left the Vatican a “thoroughly clerical, and male, environment.” Still, largely unlike his predecessors, Francis “not only allowed a discussion, but actually promoted a discussion,” one historian told the outlet.
Future could look increasingly conservative for Catholic Church
The question of Francis’ successor will likely be a challenge in an increasingly polarized Church: Notable frontrunners hail from the Global South — a reflection of Francis’ desire to move away from Rome, and the growing numbers of clergy members in Africa. However, a non-Western pope would likely upset increasingly conservative — and financially powerful — American Church leaders, one high-level cleric told Politico, which could be crucial at a time when the Vatican is suffering from a significant financial crisis. A pull in either direction will likely move away from Francis’ vision. He criticized the US Church as having a “very strong reactionary attitude,” while some African bishops have blocked inclusion efforts for LGBTQ Catholics.