As we look to Rome during these nine days of mourning the death of Pope Francis, the world reflects on his 12-year papacy that has significantly shaped the modern Catholic Church. The papacy of the “People’s Pope” was marked by a distinctive approach to leadership that emphasized mercy, inclusion, and meeting people “on the periphery.”
The Catholic University of America shares a special connection with Pope Francis, particularly remembering his 2015 visit to campus to our Washington, DC, campus – a true pilgrimage that touched our entire community and created a special closeness to our Holy Father. As the national university of the Church in the United States, founded by the nation’s bishops and chartered by the Holy See in 1887, this relationship holds particular significance during this time of transition.
Francis’ papacy represented both continuity with the Church’s great body of teaching and distinctive contributions to communicating the faith. As the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas, he brought fresh perspectives to the papacy while remaining rooted in Catholic teaching. More than anything, Francis was a pope who walked among all people and met them where they were – just like St. Francis of Assisi, for whom he took this name. Whether they faced physical poverty, moral distance, or spiritual apathy, he truly accompanied those “on the periphery” to bring them to Christ in the sacraments.
The core theme of his ministry has been “opening wide the doors of mercy,” inviting everyone into the Heart of Christ in a true relationship of encounter. Perhaps it’s most fitting that his last encyclical, Dilexit Nos, focused on the human and divine love of Christ's Heart and examined the transformative power that has as a font of healing for a divided world.
Key Legacy Elements
Some of the most critical issues he tackled in the Church over the years were sexual abuse among the clergy, the abolition of the death penalty worldwide, and unwavering advocacy for migrants and refugees seeking safety and security.
Joseph Capizzi, Ph.D., dean of Catholic University’s School of Theology and Religious Studies (STRS), said in a news interview in March: “Some of the ways he will be most remembered will be as someone who fought clericalism and tried to return the Church to a radical focus on the Gospel…and a focus on serving the poor and marginalized.”
Susan Timoney, STD, associate professor of practice, STRS, agrees with this note as a strong element of his legacy.
“Pope Francis provided a great example of a preferential option for the poor, asking that all of the Church’s ministry include attention and care for those who are suffering, vulnerable, or forgotten,” said Timoney. “He also practiced this in his visits to Rome’s prisons, his time with refugees on the coast of France, and his initiative to set up showers for those living on the streets in Rome. The statue of ‘Angels Unawares’ – both in St. Peter’s Square and here on campus – is a visual testimony to that!”
On the point of his impact on clericalism, Stephen White, executive director of The Catholic Project, dives a bit deeper.
“All the baptized bear responsibility for the mission of the Church, as the Second Vatican Council taught and as Pope Francis often emphasized,” White said. “This belief undergirds both his emphasis on synodality, as well as his frequent warnings against the ‘clericalization of the laity.’ For Francis, overcoming clericalism was not ultimately about redistributing ecclesial power, nor was it an attempt to turn the Church into a democracy. Rather, it required a living sense of shared collaboration and shared responsibility for the mission of the Church.”
Other highlights of his work over the last 12 years include:
- Reform in the Curia, and opening more leadership roles to laity;
- Ecumenical dialogue with Muslims, as the first pope to visit Iraq; and
- The Synod on Synodality, a three-year global process of listening and dialogue that invited the Church to renewal in the spirit of Vatican II.
Student Reflections
A few first-year students at Catholic University recently shared some thoughts about the impact he had on their lives.
“I studied Catholic social teaching in high school, and when it came time to study care for creation, Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si was integral in addressing our duty to take care of the planet that God has given us,… as stewards of the earth,” said Ciara Gallagher. “Pope Francis also brought a new perspective to the Vatican, [especially in] showing that the Church’s duty is first and foremost to love."
“When I think of the Holy Father, a few words come to mind: loving, holy, aware, progressive,” said Mikey McIntyre. “I also think his Synod was an important step forward in how the Church works and will hopefully bear great fruit for the future.”
The Church: A Family United
Capizzi noted, in a moment like this when a pope passes away, there is palpable hope and a sense of community. “One of the beautiful things you see right now is ... the papacy as a sign of unity for the world, and you see Catholics coming together.”
In September 2015, when Pope Francis said Mass on Catholic University’s campus, he offered a challenge at the conclusion of his homily: “Forward! Let’s keep moving forward!” (full text)
That is truly the progressive spirit of his papacy – one that pushes toward more peace, more charity, and more forgiveness in the Heart of Christ.
Let us keep his torch burning in hope, as our lives bear witness to this shepherd’s great legacy and the Way in which he led us.
