Pope Francis (1933-2025)

Pope Francis (left) with his predecessor Benedict XVI in 2016 (Osservatore Romano/Reuters/WSJ)

Pope Francis, who died today, served for 12 years. His papacy was marked by controversy as he tried to steer the church in a "social justice" direction:

Pope Francis, who sought to refocus the Catholic Church on promoting social and economic justice rather than traditional moral teachings but presided over growing divisions in the church and struggled with the lingering scandal of clerical sex abuse, has died. He was 88.

The pope’s death, announced by the Vatican, came after he spent weeks in the hospital earlier this year to treat a serious bout of pneumonia. His health remained fragile after he returned to his residence in the Vatican.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was a pope of firsts. He was the first pope from the Americas, the first from the Jesuit order, and the first to take the name Francis. He was the first in almost six centuries to become pope after his predecessor resigned. Francis also gave the papacy a less formal and more approachable image by spurning regal attire, riding in compact cars and making headlines with blunt comments at news conferences.

He was openly political, urging grassroots activists around the world to bridge the gap between rich and poor while calling on wealthier countries to better protect the environment. As Western politicians moved to close their borders to refugees, Francis advocated for them and other migrants. In February, he criticized President Trump’s plan for mass deportations.

The most influential popes of the 20th century, for example John XXIII and John Paul II, modernized the church while leaving doctrinal matters largely unchanged. Pope Francis was an exception; he seemed more tolerant of same-sex marriage and communion for divorced catholics. He was not politically neutral; he spoke against capitalism and border enforcement.

He also took steps to strengthen the likelihood that the church will continue to move left:

Francis’ decisions over whom to appoint as cardinals—the men who will elect his successor—were notably strategic. He passed over prominent conservative bishops installed by his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI in dioceses such as Los Angeles and Venice, and appointed others from places such as Tonga and Laos, far from the church’s major population centers. By the time of his death, the pope had named about two-thirds of the cardinal electors. A two-thirds majority of electors is required to select the next pope.

My own personal sense is that the zeitgeist will lead the church to elect a more traditional, non-political Pope. We'll see.