By: Maya Vossen-Nelson

As the world celebrates the selection of its 267th Roman Catholic Pope, it is also important to reflect on the influential life of Pope Leo XIV’s predecessor: Pope Francis.

Pope Francis was elected as pope in March 2013 and soon became known as a reform-minded leader of the Catholic Church. His time as pope was dominated by “firsts”. Pope Francis was the first pope to address the United States Congress and the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula. In December 2023, Pope Francis approved the blessing of same-sex couples for the first time in Catholic Church history.

Pope Francis dedicated himself to a life of compassion and humility that emanated through his first and final acts as pontiff. In Pope Francis’ first papal trip he visited Lampedusa, a Mediterranean gateway to Europe for asylum seekers. Through his visit he effectively drew attention to the refugee and immigrant humanitarian crisis that so much of the world was ignoring and set the tone for his continued leadership in immigration reforms during his papacy.

Pope Francis issued Laidao si’ “Praise Be to You”, an influential document addressing the climate crisis, denouncing wasteful consumption and endorsing the rights of Indigenous people.

In a historic act, Pope Francis made public apologies to sexual abuse survivors that were victimized by the Catholic Church and its long history of coverups.

Pope Francis served as pope during many 21st century global tragedies which made his moral guidance and judgement even more influential. During a time when Catholicism had been weaponized to justify political agendas, Pope Francis prioritized his service to the Catholic God and made bible interpretations without outside influence.

While remembering any significant figure in history it is fundamental to recognize the whole person and not present them in only a positive or negative light. In this spirit, it is important to recognize Pope Francis’ shortcomings as a pope including his denial and delayed response to sexual abuse cases within the church.