The papacy of Pope Francis: a decade of change for the church

If you have ever wondered why Pope Francis seemed so different from the popes before him, you are not alone. For more than a decade, people inside and outside the Catholic Church watched a man who rode in a modest car, washed the feet of prisoners, and talked about climate change and migrants as openly as he talked about sin and salvation. Understanding his papacy means looking at who he was before he became pope, what he changed, what he left untouched, and why his choices still spark debate among Catholics today.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1936, the son of Italian immigrants. He trained as a chemist before entering the priesthood, eventually joining the Society of Jesus, commonly known as the Jesuits. He served as archbishop of Buenos Aires and became a cardinal, known locally for taking public transportation and visiting the poorest neighborhoods of the city rather than staying inside church offices.

How Bergoglio became Pope Francis

In February 2013, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation, a decision almost without precedent in modern church history. The College of Cardinals gathered in Rome for a conclave, and on March 13, 2013, they elected Bergoglio as the 265th pope. He chose the name Francis, after Francis of Assisi, signaling from his very first public appearance that poverty, simplicity and care for creation would define his priorities.

His election carried several firsts that mattered to Catholics around the world:

• He was the first pope from the Americas, breaking a long run of European popes.
• He was the first Jesuit to become pope.
• He was the first pope in centuries to take the name Francis, a name with no prior papal history.
• He was the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere in the modern era.

From the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, instead of offering a grand blessing first, he asked the crowd to pray for him before he blessed them. That small gesture set the tone for much of what followed.

What made his leadership style stand out

Pope Francis chose to live in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, a Vatican guesthouse, rather than the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors. He kept his simple black shoes instead of the traditional red papal shoes, carried his own briefcase, and often made unscheduled phone calls to ordinary people who had written to him.

He described himself less as a ruler and more as a pastor among his flock. In interviews, he spoke about the church as a field hospital, a place meant to treat wounds first and ask questions later. This image shaped how he approached people who felt distant from the church, including divorced Catholics, LGBTQ individuals, and those who had drifted from regular worship.

He also traveled extensively, visiting countries rarely included on papal itineraries, including nations with small Catholic populations or difficult relations with the Vatican. These trips were less about ceremony and more about personal presence in places affected by poverty, conflict or natural disaster.

The major documents that shaped his teaching

Much of what Pope Francis wanted the church to understand came through a series of lengthy teaching documents, known as encyclicals and apostolic exhortations. Each one addressed a theme close to his pastoral vision.

Evangelii Gaudium and the call to joy

Released in 2013, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) set the tone for his papacy. It urged the church to move outward toward the poor and marginalized rather than focusing inward on internal rules and structures.

Laudato Si' and care for the environment

In 2015, Laudato Si' became one of his most discussed writings. It connected environmental destruction to poverty and social injustice, arguing that care for the earth and care for the poor are deeply linked. The document drew attention well beyond Catholic circles, including from scientists and policymakers working on climate issues.

Amoris Laetitia and family life

Published in 2016, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) addressed marriage and family, acknowledging the complicated real-life situations many Catholic families face. It opened cautious pastoral pathways for divorced and remarried Catholics, a shift that pleased some bishops and troubled others who felt it softened traditional teaching.

Fratelli Tutti and human fraternity

Written in 2020 during the global pandemic, Fratelli Tutti (Brothers and Sisters All) called for greater solidarity across nations, religions and political divides, warning against isolationism and indifference toward suffering outside one's own community.

Reforms inside the Vatican

Beyond his writings, Pope Francis pushed for structural changes within the institutions he inherited. Vatican finances had long been criticized for lacking transparency, and he brought in outside auditors and tightened oversight of Vatican bank accounts and real estate dealings.

He also restructured parts of the Roman Curia, the central administrative body of the church, aiming to make it more responsive to local bishops rather than a distant bureaucracy. Some of his notable efforts included:

1. Creating new offices to coordinate the church's response to the clergy abuse crisis.
2. Appointing more cardinals from Asia, Africa and Latin America, diversifying a body long dominated by Europeans.
3. Launching a multi-year Synod on Synodality, inviting bishops, clergy and laypeople worldwide to discuss how decisions are made within the church.
4. Tightening financial controls after scandals involving Vatican investments.

These changes moved slowly, as is often the case with an institution that measures its history in centuries rather than years, but they represented real attempts to modernize how the Vatican operates day to day.

Criticism, controversy and unresolved tensions

Not everyone welcomed his approach. Traditionalist Catholics worried that his pastoral flexibility blurred long-standing doctrine, particularly around marriage, communion for divorced Catholics, and blessings for same-sex couples, which he permitted under certain pastoral conditions in 2023 without changing the church's teaching on marriage itself.

The clergy sexual abuse crisis remained one of the most painful and persistent challenges of his papacy. He issued Vos Estis Lux Mundi in 2019, creating clearer procedures for reporting abuse and holding bishops accountable, yet survivors and advocacy groups in several countries argued that enforcement remained inconsistent and that some bishops accused of covering up abuse faced little real consequence.

Francis himself acknowledged that the church had been too slow and too protective of itself, saying survivors deserved to be heard before anything else.

Other criticisms focused on his handling of internal church politics, where conservative cardinals publicly questioned his teaching authority on several occasions, something almost unheard of in recent papal history. Supporters countered that open disagreement, aired respectfully, reflected the kind of dialogue he had been encouraging all along through the synodal process.

His final years and the legacy he leaves behind

In his later years, Pope Francis dealt with declining health, including respiratory issues and several hospital stays, while continuing a reduced but active schedule of audiences and travel. He remained publicly committed to the themes that had defined his papacy from the start: mercy toward the marginalized, urgency around environmental responsibility, and a church that listens before it instructs.

He died in the spring of 2025, closing a papacy that had lasted just over a decade. His death prompted reflection across the Catholic world and beyond, from world leaders to interfaith partners he had built relationships with over the years, many of whom noted his consistent focus on the poor, the displaced and the forgotten.

Whatever judgment history makes of specific decisions, the broader shift he encouraged, toward a church that presents itself as approachable rather than distant, left a visible mark on how many Catholics and non-Catholics alike perceive the papacy itself.

• He reshaped expectations around papal simplicity and personal accessibility.
• He placed environmental and economic justice firmly within mainstream Catholic teaching.
• He widened, without resolving, the conversation around pastoral care for divorced, remarried and LGBTQ Catholics.
• He pushed, however unevenly, for greater accountability on clergy abuse.

These threads will likely shape how future popes are expected to lead, regardless of whether they choose to continue in the same direction or chart a different course.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Pope Francis choose that name?

He chose the name Francis in honor of Francis of Assisi, a medieval friar known for embracing poverty and simplicity. The choice signaled his intention to focus on the poor, humility and care for creation, themes that shaped much of his papacy from its first day onward.

What was Pope Francis's stance on LGBTQ Catholics?

He emphasized pastoral welcome and mercy without changing official church teaching on marriage. In 2023 he approved guidelines allowing priests to offer informal blessings to same-sex couples in certain pastoral settings, a move that drew both praise and strong criticism from different parts of the church.

Did Pope Francis change Catholic doctrine?

He did not formally change core doctrine on issues like marriage or ordination, but he adjusted pastoral practice, such as opening limited paths for divorced and remarried Catholics to receive communion in specific circumstances, depending on discernment with their local priest.

How did Pope Francis address the clergy abuse crisis?

He introduced new accountability measures, including the 2019 norms known as Vos Estis Lux Mundi, which created clearer reporting procedures and held bishops responsible for mishandling abuse cases. Critics argued enforcement remained inconsistent across different countries and dioceses.