Remembering Pope Francis, the reformist who aligned the pastoral mission with the 21st century

Pope Francis’s tenure at the helm of the Holy See has drawn both praise and controversies. Since the beginning of his papacy in 2013, he has made efforts to reform the Catholic Church. He strongly advocated humility, social justice, and inclusion of marginalized groups, and set a personal example by rejecting some of the papal luxuries.

However, his papacy has also faced strong criticism for perceived ambiguities and his handling of internal Church issues. The plight of the world’s poor remained central to his pastoral mission. He was also a vocal critic of unchecked capitalism and consumerism—systems he felt failed to consider the marginalized and impoverished.

In his 2013 apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis defined the need for a greater emphasis on social consciousness in the church. He also made bold moves toward inclusivity: in 2013, he famously asked, “Who am I to judge?” in reference to gay Catholics, and in 2023, he approved blessings for same-sex couples—a shift toward acceptance that stopped short of doctrinal change.

His 2015 encyclical Laudato si’ received global praise for addressing the Catholic Church’s role in climate action.

Pope Francis also championed outreach to refugees, promoted interfaith dialogue, and issued apologies for the Church’s historical wrongs. Still, critics argue that some of his reforms lacked clarity and consistency. His certain positions alienated traditionalists, and his approval of same-sex blessings and openness to communion for divorced Catholics—via Amoris Laetitia—were viewed by some as a dilution of Catholic doctrine.

Certain steps he had taken while handling the clergy abuse crisis also drew heavy criticism. While he met with victims and called for accountability, he also made notable missteps: one such misstep was to defend Chilean Bishop Juan Barros, who faced allegations of covering up sexual abuse committed by his mentor, Father Fernando Karadima, a prominent Chilean priest.

On the global stage, Pope Francis’s political engagements stirred controversy. He faced backlash for his criticism of the West's policies and for his reluctance to fully condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine. In 2022, he called for peace and dialogue. But his critics said that the Pope refrained from naming Russia as the aggressor. While his advocacy for migrants earned praise from humanitarian groups, Western conservatives accused him of overlooking the security and economic concerns of host nations.

In 2018, he signed a “provisional agreement” with China on the appointment of bishops, recognizing seven bishops previously appointed by Beijing. This move came nearly seven decades after the Holy See and China severed diplomatic ties. Critics, including Cardinal Joseph Zen, accused the Pope of betraying underground Catholics and turning a blind eye to human rights abuses by the Chinese state.

His engagement with Palestinian leaders—including hosting Mahmoud Abbas in 2015—also drew criticism from pro-Israel advocates, who objected to what they saw as a lack of strong condemnation of groups like Hezbollah.

Pope Francis appointed women to several significant roles within the Vatican hierarchy. He also took major steps to address the troubles in the Vatican Bank, introducing audits and oversight mechanisms to combat corruption. His measures were intended to combat money laundering and to ensure transparency in Vatican’s financial operations. And, an internal watchdog of the Vatican had reported that Reports of suspicious financial activity in the Vatican fell by a third in 2024. As part of reforming the Vatican’s financial institutions, Pope Francis took forward the measures initiated by his predecessor, the late Pope Benedict XVI.

Despite certain limitations, Pope Francis did the best he could to reform the Catholic Church and align its pastoral mission with the realities of the 21st century. And, his papacy was marked by boldness and courage.

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