Pope Francis brought a pastoral approach of mercy, humility, and care for the marginalised
The demise of Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from March 2013 to April 2025, marks the end of a Holy Chapter in the history of Catholic faith. The gloomy announcement by Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican Camerlengo – “At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father; His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” – sent a wave of grief across the globe on the Easter Monday.
The 88-year-old pontiff was the first Latin American Pope, and the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th Century Syrian Pope Gregory III. He was recently hospitalised and had survived double pneumonia, however died after a severe respiratory crisis. A deep believer and a traditionalist, the departed pontiff was pro-reform and a passionate advocate of interfaith dialogue. His concern for the environment and efforts against human trafficking are noteworthy.
Pope Francis on Sunday had a brief private meeting with the US Vice President J D Vance, ahead of his appearance for Easter Sunday. Later, he delivered the Easter message from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to thousands of people gathered in Vatican Square. The pontiff offered the ‘Urbi et Orbi’ blessing to the City of Rome and to the World, a blessing which only the Pope can offer and includes the offer of an indulgence, a remission for the effect of sins. He dedicated his Easter message to calling for peace worldwide, for global disarmament and for the release of prisoners.
Pope Francis was in disagreement with the Donald Trump administration over its anti-migrant policies. He and the Vatican officials had criticised several of the policies of Trump administration, including its plans to deport millions of migrants from the US and the widespread cuts to foreign aid and domestic welfare programmes. Pope Francis had in fact, called the US immigration crackdown a “disgrace”.
The demise of Pope Francis will now initiate the process of electing the new pontiff, which involves two stages: An initial period of discussions among Cardinals, followed by the conclave itself, where voting takes place in the Sistine Chapel. The voting is private, with no public access. Currently, the frontrunners for the papacy are primarily Italian cardinals. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, is seen as a safe choice due to his deep knowledge of Vatican affairs and close ties to Pope Francis. Other names in the running include Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Mario Grech from Malta and Cardinal Konrad Krajewski from Poland. Each of these candidates brings different strengths to the table, but Parolin is still considered the most likely to succeed Pope Francis.
The legacy of Pope Francis will primarily speak about his progressive nature and the transformation he brought to the Catholic Church. During the duodecennial period in office, he brought a distinctive pastoral approach that emphasised mercy, humility, and care for the marginalised. He seldom cared for Catholic Church traditionalists and even faced the stiffest resistance from archconservative American clerics during the pandemic when he urged people to get vaccinated against Covid.
The departed pontiff also had a conservative side and was against abortion, in favour of clerical celibacy and opposed to ordaining women, although he was open to giving them a greater role in running the Church. The tenure of Pope Francis at Vatican was a melange. He nevertheless would be remembered as a symbol of compassion and spiritual courage by millions across the world.
