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New Indian Express

Francis, a pope of many firsts—his roots, faith, leadership and legacy

Pope Francis, whose papacy blended tradition with pushes for inclusion and reform, Here we spotlight five stories from The Conversation's archive about his roots, faith, leadership and legacy. 1. A Jesuit pope Jorge Mario Bergoglio became a pope of many firsts: the Those Jesuit roots shed light on Pope Francis' approach to some of the world's most pressing problems, argues Gabrielli highlights the Jesuits' ' 2. LGBTQ+ issues Early on in his papacy, Francis famously Over the years, he has repeatedly called on Catholics to love LGBTQ+ people and spoken against laws that target them. But 'Francis' inclusiveness is not actually radical,' explains Rather, Francis' comments 'express what the Catholic Church says about human dignity,' 3. Asking forgiveness At times, Francis did something that was once unthinkable for a pope: He apologised. He was not the first pontiff to do so, however. Pope John Paul II declared a sweeping 'Day of Pardon' in 2000, asking forgiveness for the church's sins, and Pope Benedict XVI apologised to victims of sexual abuse. During Francis' papacy, he acknowledged the church's historic role in Canada's residential school system for Indigenous children and apologized for abuses in the system. But what does it mean for a pope to say, 'I'm sorry'? Often, she notes, statements skirt an actual admission of wrongdoing. Still, apologies 'do say something important,' Selak writes. A pope 'apologizes both to the church and on behalf of the church to the world. These apologies are necessary starting points on the path to forgiveness and healing.' 4. A church that listens Many popes convene meetings of the Synod of Bishops to advise the Vatican on church governance. But under Francis, these gatherings took on special meaning. The Synod on Synodality was a multiyear, worldwide conversation where Catholics could share concerns and challenges with local church leaders, informing the topics synod participants would eventually The process 'pictures the Catholic Church not as a top-down hierarchy but rather as an open conversation,' writes University of Dayton religious studies scholar 5. Global dance In 2024, University of Notre Dame professor Francis does love the dance – in 2014, thousands of Catholics tangoed in St. Peter's Square to honor his birthday. But Francis was 'less interested in ivory tower theology than the faith of people on the streets,' where Argentina's beloved dance was born. This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation's archives. This article is republished from