We lost a good man at the very end of the Lenten season. Pope Francis, as we unfortunately have come to know, has died. In the wake of his passing, the Catholic Church is left in a precarious position: to reform or conform. Now, I’m not Catholic, but I’ve been around you guys for the better part of 7 years and have seen a noticeable rift begin to form in the Universal Church as fading relevance and shifting values are changing how we all view Christianity.
Much can be said about the humble man from Argentina whom I affectionately call Papa Frankie. He was the first non-European Pope in over a millennium, the first to take the name of Saint Francis of Assisi, and the first to be buried outside the Vatican in more than a century. Pope Francis was very intentional in changing the course of the Church as She entered an era of newfound challenges and opportunities.
Quite possibly his most notable political positions were his stances on LGBTQ members and unions, the Palestinian Genocide, and the treatment of immigrants. Let’s dig in just a bit and recap what timing Papa Frankie was on!
In a stunning pivot from ‘hate the sin, not the sinner,’ Pope Francis became a surprising ally of sorts to queer Christians as he engaged with the LGBTQ community on multiple occasions in his time. Offerings of comparably nonjudgmental support for more diverse orientations and expressions of love presented a breath of fresh air for many who were stifled and demeaned for simply being. Of course, there were limits to the first Jesuit Pope’s allyship, but a step is better than nothing when standing still means leaving so many of the faithful in flux. Not saying this is the greatest take of all time, but progress is progress and the world is very much a better place for giving Catholics and Christians worldwide a chance to emulate more tolerant views and have frank conversations.
I have written at length concerning the current iteration of the Palestinian Genocide unceremoniously called the Gaza-Israel War, but you may not have seen it… Nonetheless fully I press on and note the intimate care that the Pope took in his final weeks to call the Holy Family Church in Gaza City daily. The only Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip is shepherded by Father Gabriel Romanelli, who would get a call every night from Papa Frank. Pope Francis’ bristly meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his continuous calls for a humanitarian intervention in the conflict typify how outwardly political the People’s Pope could get. Decrying the ravages of colonialism on the Global South and the responsibility the Global North had to not only stop its exploitation but also amend was a frequent refrain heard ringing out of the speakers of the Vatican.
A world ever in flux due to the compounding effects of climate change, conflict, and conniving politicians means a world of immigrants seeking safety and security. The biggest humanitarian crises of contemporary times, if not ever, are unfolding before our eyes. Pope Francis knew this and spoke out in favour of the innocent trying to find new lives in faraway lands. Clashes with anti-immigrant politicians and governments were frequent as the West grows increasingly unfriendly to accepting immigrants, especially from countries we’ve helped destabilize. This callousness was not something Papa Frankie could bar, and neither should we. Regardless of denomination or devotion, we all know that immigrants deserve a welcome and shelter just as a national does.
Ever the progressive Pope Francis radically reformed the Catholic Church, and as She awaits new leadership, I hope reforms continue under the next administration. The world needs more reforming and less conforming. Of his Beloved Church, Pope Francis once said, “We are often chained like Peter in the prison of habit … scared by change and tied to the chain of our customs.” Be unafraid to break your chains and old habits. Try to be a little more like the late Pope Francis.