The Legacy of Pope Francis

Pope Francis passed away after leading the Roman Catholic Church for 12 years. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis made history as the first pontiff from Latin America, the first Jesuit and the first to take his papal name from Saint Francis of Assisi, a saint who dedicated his life to the poor. When Francis became pope, he took over the Roman Catholic Church at a moment of crisis. The church was being rocked by clerical sexual abuse scandals, falling attendance, a dire shortage of priests and demands for a greater role for women. After decades of conservative leadership, Francis set out to lead the church in a new direction of inclusivity — filling the church’s leadership with an ethnically diverse array of bishops who shared his approach. His willingness to discuss once taboo subjects within the church was one of his biggest achievements, opening doors that had once been sealed shut. Francis initially faced criticism when he addressed sex abuse scandals involving the clergy, supporting the accused bishops and publicly doubting some victims. But after speaking with sex abuse survivors, Francis adopted new rules to hold religious leaders, including bishops, accountable. Still, Francis did not adopt the level of transparency that many advocates had hoped for. Francis’s stance was less clear on L.G.B.T.Q. issues. While he rejected same-sex marriage, he called on priests to be welcoming to non-traditional relationships between gay men, lesbians and unmarried couples who lived together. Francis tried to shift the church’s focus to global problems like climate change, poverty and migration. Conservative Catholics clashed with Francis over his less than traditional leadership style and accused him of diluting church teachings. But his supporters will remember him for his willingness to open questions for debate and his attempt to introduce long-lasting change.