Pope Francis: The life and legacy of the 266th pope of the Catholic Church

Pope Francis died last Monday, April 21, leaving behind both a colorful legacy and big shoes to fill.

A few students and religious leaders on campus shared their feelings on the passing of the pope with Troy TrojanVision.

“Pope Francis served for 12 years, God rest his soul, as the Pope,” said Father Chris Boutin, Pastor of St. John Catholic Church in Ozark, Alabama. “He was known to be very generous to the poor, a man after Jesus Christ’s own heart.

“He very, very much identified with the poor and the outcast— I think he famously said, ‘Go to the margins, those that society has forgot about,’ and that's the impact he has had. He once again kind of pointed to the church and said to go to the peripheries, go to those you don't see, go to those hurting and that's the impact we really focused on during his papacy.”

Many say Pope Francis was a great inspiration.

“Pope Francis is a great social justice pope, which has been really a refresher for the church,” said President of Troy’s Catholic Newman Ministry Christian Delburn, a senior majoring in communications from Mobile, Alabama. “His ideas were very nice, especially for the American Catholic Church, serving the poor throughout the country, which is something that I think I've taken a lot of inspiration from, and we've integrated into the church itself.”

Not only was the pope inspirational, but he shifted dynamics in the church.

“He was the first priest from Latin America, and that brought big change when he took office,” said Catherine Andre, a member of the Troy Newman Catholics and a sophomore math education major from Birmingham, Alabama. “He also came into the papacy as the old pope retired, which hasn't happened in hundreds of years, (popes) tend to hold (papacy) until they die.

“Pope Francis made big movements in opening the church. He reversed some of the previous pope’s doctrines. He was well known for the LGBTQ+ movement saying we welcome that community, too, and we want them involved in the church; he opened it up instead of closing off the church. I know a lot of traditionalists in the Catholic Church were concerned with the way the church was going. They almost felt under attack just because things were changing, but a lot of people were excited to embrace a new kind of era in the Catholic Church.”

Following his long reign as pope, his death hit hard for those who admired him.

“This is the first pope that I've really had a connection to,” Delburn said. “It does kind of hit you a little bit, you know, he's the father of our church.

“Maybe I've never met him in person, but he was ultimately the leader of our church. I kind of likened it to Queen Elizabeth's passing in England, you know, somebody that's there for so long and has such an impact is something that would still affect you.”

Others feel more connected worldwide now with all the prayers uplifted for the pope.

“I've been praying rosaries for him, and we prayed the liturgy of the hours for him the other day at church, too,” Andre said. “The liturgy of the hours is what the priests around the world pray, so for me, getting to be involved in that has made me feel more connected to the Catholic Church and to my brothers and sisters around the world.”

A new pope will be elected by the Cardinals.

“When you're able to gather all of the Cardinals, you know you have these great leaders around the world, and they're going to have different viewpoints because of the people groups that they serve, it truly shows how the Catholic Church is universal,” Andre said.

“Getting back to our roots, coming together, it's beautiful to think about just how much wisdom is in that room when these Cardinals are talking and then voting on the new pope. I find comfort in the fact that it is a unanimous decision because I know it truly is going to be the best leadership for the Catholic Church.”

There are many possible candidates for who may become the next pope. The papal conclave, or the gathering of Cardinals to discuss the election of a new pope, is set to begin May 7, 2025.

Pope's Death:

April 21, 2025

Burial:

April 26, 2025

Papal Conclave:

May 7, 2025