Pope Francis—A Moderate Voice For Catholicism—Dies At 88

Topline

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday after leading the Roman Catholic Church for 12 years, becoming a beacon of hope for progressive Catholics for his views on LGBTQ issues and support for immigrants and the poor, while drawing criticism from conservatives for his stances on social issues.

Key Facts

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What Was Francis’ Stance On Lgbtq Catholics?

Francis became known for his softer tone toward homosexuality, sparking frustration from conservative Catholics who lamented his focus on social issues—while generating mixed responses from liberal Catholics, who praised his welcoming tone, but criticized a lack of concrete progress for LGBTQ Catholics. As pope, Francis urged church members to welcome LGBTQ Catholics and has criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality (though he has not changed Church doctrine on the matter and maintains the traditional stance that acting on homosexual urges is a sin). In November 2023, the Vatican said transgender people could be baptized and become godparents—but months later, a document issued by the Vatican’s doctrine office and approved by Francis rejected “gender theory” and slammed gender-affirming surgeries as a violation of human dignity. In December 2023, the Vatican declared priests could bless same-sex couples provided these unions do not resemble marriage, though in response to criticism, he clarified: “I don’t bless a ‘same-sex marriage,’ I bless two people who love each other and I also ask them to pray for me.” In May 2024, Francis stirred controversy by using a slur referring to gay men in Italian in a closed-door meeting. Francis had discussed with Italian bishops whether to admit gay men to Catholic seminaries to be prepared for priesthood, though Francis reportedly opposed the idea, stating there was already too much “frociaggine”—a slur for gay men—in seminaries. The Vatican apologized in a statement, clarifying Francis “never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms.”

What Was Francis’ Stance On Abortion?

Early in his papacy, Francis criticized the church for being “obsessed” with issues such as abortion and homosexuality, which he said distracted from the “first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you.” He also extended power to priests to forgive abortion in 2016, stating there is “no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father.” But Francis has repeatedly criticized the practice of abortion and has said it is a sin. In 2018, he likened abortion to avoid birth defects to Nazi-era eugenics policies, and in 2019, he compared abortion to “hiring a hitman.” One day after the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade’s protection of abortion rights in the United States, Francis criticized the “selfishness” of people who “thwart the desire to bring new lives in the world,” though he did not explicitly refer to the ruling. He later told Reuters he respected the decision but said he could not comment from a judicial point of view. Months before the 2024 presidential election, Francis slammed both Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris, calling them “against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies,” referring to Trump’s immigration policies and Harris’ support for abortion rights.

What Did Francis Say About Immigration—and Donald Trump?

Francis has repeatedly called for the protection of immigrants, and has condemned Trump’s plans to build a border wall between the United States and Mexico and to deport migrants. From the beginning of his papacy, Francis has called for the “elimination of prejudices and presuppositions in the approach to migration,” urging governments to “provide dignified living conditions for everyone.” In 2016, while Trump campaigned for his first presidential victory, Francis slammed his border wall plan in a rebuke that media outlets described as unprecedented. “A person who only thinks about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis said. In response, Trump called it “disgraceful” for Francis to question his faith, adding: “If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which, as everyone knows, is ISIS’ ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president.” Francis again rebuked Trump in a letter to American bishops in February, calling his mass deportation plan a violation of “dignity” that “will end badly.” Francis has also called on European governments to protect migrants, stating at an address in France in 2023 that it is the “duty of humanity” to protect migrants who cross the Mediterranean Sea.

Did Francis Support Women Becoming Priests? What Were Francis’ Other Views?

Throughout his papacy, Francis has spoken in favor of women having a greater role in the church, though he maintains they should not be priests. He changed church law to allow women to be readers and altar servers during Mass services, and in the first 10 years of his papacy, the number of women employed by the Vatican increased from 846 to 1,165. He also appointed the first woman to lead a Vatican department in January 2025. Francis has frequently spoken about the dangers of climate change: He’s met with oil company leaders to discuss climate concerns and urged governments to make “radical” decisions to curb the climate crisis.

How Did Francis Stoke Divisions Between Liberal And Conservative Catholics?

In the politically divided church, Francis has faced criticism from conservatives about his social stances, including high-ranking church officials. Cardinal George Pell of Australia, who died in 2023, blasted Francis’s tenure as a “catastrophe” in a secret 2022 memo, slamming his decisions guided by “political correctness” and accusing him of “grave failures to support human rights in Venezuela, Hong Kong, mainland China, and now in the Russian invasion.” Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano published a letter in 2018 demanding Francis’s resignation, accusing him of covering up sexual abuse and stoking a “homosexual current” in the Vatican. Francis has occasionally hit back at some of his critics. In 2023, he criticized the “backwardness” of American Catholic conservatives, stating they have a narrow view of the church. He also told CBS News in 2024 conservative Catholics have a “suicidal attitude,” stating there is a difference between taking “tradition into account” and being “closed up inside a dogmatic box.” Francis has also attempted to restrict observance of the traditional Latin Mass, an ancient form of worship that is conducted almost entirely in Latin, which has angered conservative Catholics. Francis has defended his stance, stating continued worship of the Latin Mass stokes ideological division within the church.

Why Have Some Progressive Catholics Criticized Francis?

Francis has also faced criticism from progressives who have noted his softer rhetoric on homosexuality and women’s roles in the church hasn’t inspired doctrine change. Some criticized him for approving a message from the church clarifying it cannot bless same sex marriages because God “cannot bless sin” (though he’s voiced support for same-sex civil unions in the past). Critics have noted his expanded roles for women in the church are largely administrative positions and lack power to influence church doctrine. Some also feel he hasn’t done enough to combat church sexual abuse—though he’s repeatedly called for an end to the scandal that’s plagued the church for decades, critics say sexual abuse cases are still processed slowly, and in 2018, Francis shocked observers by accusing Chilean abuse survivors of “slander.”

Crucial Quote

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis famously told reporters in July 2013. The remark, made just four months after he became pope, signaled a dramatic shift in tone from previous Church leaders, including his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who considered homosexuality “an intrinsic moral evil.” In retrospective analyses of Francis’s ten years as pope, The New York Times, The Guardian and The Washington Post considered this remark among his most famous.

Key Background

Francis was born in Argentina to Italian parents as Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936. He studied to become a chemical technician and worked in the food processing industry and as a nightclub bouncer and janitor before pursuing academia, studying philosophy and theology and teaching at a high school. He became ordained as a priest in 1969 and took his final vow as a Jesuit in 1973. He led Argentina’s Jesuit order from 1973 to 1979 before becoming an auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and an archbishop in 1998. Francis was named a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. Francis was floated by some media outlets as a contender for the papacy after Benedict XVI’s death, particularly as speculation (and leaked accounts of the election in 2019) indicated a desire for a non-European pope, as the Church’s influence weakened in Europe and Catholic communities in the Americas and Africa grew. Still, Francis’s election was considered a surprise by some media outlets who did not have him pegged as a frontrunner and who expected a younger pope to take office (Francis was 76 at the time). Francis was elected after five ballots and assumed office on March 13, 2013.

Surprising Fact

For nearly ten years, Francis served as pope while predecessor Benedict XVI was still alive, both living in the Vatican. The unprecedented situation sparked media speculation about their relationship, inspired an Oscar-nominated film and symbolized the political divisions of the Church between progressive supporters of Francis and conservative supporters of Benedict who yearned for a return to a traditionalist papacy.

How Will A New Pope Be Chosen?

The Catholic Church will begin the process of selecting a new leader. During the interregnum—the period between a pope’s death and the ascension of a new pope—Cardinals under the age of 80 begin the “papal conclave.” They meet in the Sistine Chapel, locking themselves in to prevent outside influence or campaigning, between 15 and 20 days after the pope’s death to begin the election process. A candidate must secure a two-thirds majority of votes to be named pope. Black smoke is released from the chapel when a vote fails; white smoke signals a new pope has been elected.

What Has Pope Francis Said About Dogs And Heaven?

Francis made headlines in December 2014 for seeming to suggest that dogs can go to heaven—but days later, media outlets reported the quote that was attributed to Francis was actually said by Pope Paul VI decades earlier. “One day we will see our animals in the eternity of Christ,” Paul told a child, comforting him following the loss of his dog. Whether animals can go to heaven has long been a subject of debate in the church. Benedict XVI rejected this view, stating an animal’s death “just means the end of existence on earth,” though Pope John Paul II in 1990 declared animals have souls and are “as near to God as men are.”

Further Reading

Pope Francis Said Homosexuality Isn’t A Crime—Here’s What Else He’s Said About LGBTQ Issues (Forbes)

10 Years On, Pope Francis Faces Challenges From the Right and the Left (The New York Times)

Pope Francis at 10 years: He has made his mark, but early hope has faded (The Washington Post)

When a Pope Dies (The Washington Post)