Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since his installation as the 266th pope in 2013, he has quickly become one of the most transformative figures in the Catholic Church. He is the daughter of Italian migrants. This deeply personal history informs his unique and compassionate approach to contemporary social issues, particularly those faced by marginalized communities. He took over from Pope Benedict XVI, who stepped down at 85 due to health issues. With great simplicity by selecting his papal name, he represented a posture of humility and service.
Pope Francis fought a number of considerable health challenges in early adulthood. At only 21 years old, he fought back from a near-fatal bout with pneumonia. No doubt, this disorienting experience darkened his view of fragility and vulnerability. He often dives into these topics in his sermons. Before going to the seminary, Bergoglio graduated with a diploma in chemistry. Just before his 33rd birthday, he was ordained a priest in the Jesuit order. In 1998, he achieved the height of his long path to power, being named the archbishop of Buenos Aires. There, he built a national starlet’s reputation for his big, reformist zeal.
Pope Francis was 76 years old when he did so. He emerged as a powerful voice for modernizing the Church while continuing to honor its complex and beautiful traditions. He is further praised equally for his humility and an empathetic approach to leadership. His devotion to social justice is evident in his unrelenting advocacy on behalf of refugees and migrants. Perhaps most importantly, he provides an artistic platform for those society would rather ignore entirely.
Over the course of his papacy, Pope Francis has made environmental concerns a key focus. He has emphatically denounced humanity’s suicidal footprint on the earth as a moral urgency. He stated,
“I appeal to all the world’s leaders to act courageously, with justice, and always tell the truth to people, so that people may know how to protect themselves from the destruction of the planet, and how to protect the planet from the destruction that, very often, we trigger.” – Pope Francis
He has cycled in 5 continents and more than 50 countries, doing more than 400,000 km. His passion is to bridge the ancient institution of the Church with the modern day issues being faced in communities around the globe.
Along with advocating for these environmental issues, Pope Francis has taken progressive stances on social issues. In 2020, he announced his support for same-sex civil unions in a biographical documentary film on his life. This was a big step in the Church’s acknowledgment of and willingness to engage with LGBTQ+ issues. Later, in 2016, he recognized that the Church has failed gay people in its history and said that the Church owes them an apology. His willingness to speak openly and honestly on these matters has earned him high praise as well as scorn from various factions within the Church and society at large.
In just the last few months, Pope Francis has shown his usual compassionate response to global crises. On Sunday, he visited with Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas during the October 7 massacres. In doing so, he made a testament to his commitment to peace and reconciliation, despite the violence unleashed during this stormy chapter.
Not all responses have been positive. Even some of the Pope’s biggest critics have spoken out against the process by which these actions have been taken. James Hamilton remarked,
“What the Pope has done today is offensive and painful. Not only for us, but against all of those who fight to create less abusive and more ethical contexts in places like the Catholic Church.” – James Hamilton
In light of these criticisms, many see in Pope Francis a bridge-builder, a reconciling figure, both in the religious and secular communities. Father Thomas Rosica remarked on the Pope’s ability to connect with people directly:
“There was an immediate connection. He made a connection with his diocese — the Diocese of Rome — he referred to that. The pastor came to meet his people. And it was beautiful.” – Father Thomas Rosica
