As the world mourns Pope Francis, here is a look back at significant moments in his papacy that set his time as head of the Catholic Church apart from others.
Mercy and inclusion
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WATCH HERENot only did Francis’ ascension to popehood in March 2013 generate waves as he was the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas, but just months later he also received praise from the LGBTQ+ community and criticism from more traditional sects of Catholicism after voicing compassion.
When asked in July 2013 about whether there was a “gay lobby” inside the Vatican, Francis candidly said, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”
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SIGN UP “We shouldn’t marginalize people for this. They must be integrated into society,” Francis then said of the gay community.
While the Church under Francis didn’t fundamentally change its teachings about homosexuality, his rhetoric emphasized that all people .
Beyond LGBTQ+ inclusion, Francis advocated for divorced and remarried Catholics, pushing for a more understanding approach. In his 2016 apostolic exhortation "," he and understanding rather than rigid doctrinal legalism when dealing with matters such as divorce.
"Francis also opened up the church to conversation and debate in a way that had not been seen in the church since the Second Vatican Council," the wrote.
Of course, his papacy wasn’t without its missteps. In 2024, the pope , for which the Vatican later apologized. Despite that, from the beginning, Francis set a tone of openness and care, shifting the Church from strict doctrinal enforcement toward a more merciful and inclusive stance.
"Laudato Si’" and climate action
Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, "Laudato Si’," was a , cementing him as an advocate for the planet. In the document, he urged world leaders to recognize climate change as a moral crisis, warning against the destruction of the Earth’s ecosystems and the disproportionate impact on the poor.
“The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth,” , calling for urgent, global action.
As pope, Francis used his platform to , supported grassroots environmental movements and called for a that exploits natural resources.
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Reforming the Vatican’s finances
From the early days of his papacy, Francis sought to modernize and enforce transparency within the Vatican Bank and other Church financial systems.
Francis appointed independent auditors, created the Secretariat for the Economy to oversee financial reforms and pushed for accountability. The effort led to and that had been ignored for years.
In 2017, Libero Milone, who Francis hired as the Vatican's first-ever independent auditor, resigned just two years into the role. Though he abruptly resigned, Milone months later said he was after he discovered evidence of possible illegal activity, adding that he believed some in the Vatican did not want Francis' efforts for financial reform to succeed. The Vatican's deputy secretary of state called his comments "false and unjustified."
Despite Francis' efforts, the Vatican’s financial issues are far from resolved, with even Francis saying that "malevolent" . Still, Francis’ push for transparency and ethical financial management marked a significant shift in how the Church handled its vast wealth of billions of dollars.
A push for decentralization
Francis sought to change not just the Church’s policies but how it functioned at its core. In contrast to the top-down hierarchy that defined Catholic governance for centuries, he pushed for a more known as synodality.
In 2021, Francis launched the "Synod on Synodality," a global Church initiative seeking to reform the . The process was a multi-year consultation that sought input from bishops, priests and regular Church members to discuss how the Church is governed and how it engages with modern issues, such as the role of women and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
While supporters viewed it as a move toward a more engaged Church where more voices are heard and respected, critics were concerned over potential shifts in Catholic doctrine.
The document called for but stopped short of endorsing their ordination. The effort did not lead to any major changes in the Catholic church, but it increased conversation and sparked debate between Catholic reformists and traditionalists.
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Pope Francis' legacy
Pope Francis’ tenure as the leader of the Catholic Church was anything but conventional. He , scolded world leaders for their inaction on climate change and fought to make the Church a place of mercy rather than exclusion.
But he also faced criticism — from conservatives who felt he was too progressive and from progressives who felt he didn’t go far enough. As the Church now looks to the future and into replacing him, one thing is undeniable: Pope Francis changed the papacy forever.
