Pope Francis: The first two years
By Kaye Foley
March 19 marked the second anniversary of the inauguration of Pope Francis. In his first two years as pontiff, Pope Francis, the 266th leader of the Catholic Church, has stayed true to his Jesuit roots and brought a fresh sense of humility and empathy to the church.
As spiritual leader of an estimated 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide, Pope Francis has urged people to look after the poor and the marginalized. Right from the start, he wished for a “poor church for the poor.”
The former Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires practices what he preaches. He lives simply. He refuses to ride in the bulletproof limo as popes have in the past, he eats in the cafeteria with Vatican workers and he lives in a modest apartment in the Vatican guesthouse instead of the papal palace.
He has challenged the status quo of the church by speaking openly about taboo topics and providing a more progressive perspective. Although no specific doctrine has changed, people feel he brings a more inclusive attitude to the church. The pope has instructed church leaders to be less obsessed with divisive social issues such as abortion, birth control and gay marriage. And Pope Francis made waves when he was asked about homosexuality and responded, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has goodwill, who am I to judge?”
Within the church, Pope Francis has made sweeping changes to the often-criticized Vatican finances and administration. He has appointed financial oversight bodies and is pushing for more transparency.
He has also created a sex abuse commission to prevent child sexual abuse by clerics. Pope Francis wrote to bishops and leaders within the church, “Families need to know that the church is making every effort to protect their children … since there is absolutely no place in ministry for those who abuse minors.”
While he has 90 percent approval ratings among American Catholics and is well liked outside of the religion, there are some critics who believe he is diluting the Catholic identity and confusing the understanding of the Church’s doctrine and morals. But supporters counter that Pope Francis is opening up the church to conversations on subjects that it has long avoided.
Many have found inspiration in Pope Francis’ honest and humble approach. But Pope Francis may not be pope for long. In a recent interview with Televisa, he said, “I have the feeling that my pontificate will be brief, four or five years; I do not know, even two or three.”
For now, Pope Francis remains at the helm of the Catholic Church, and as millions wait to see what he’ll do next, after watching this video, you’ll be able to say, “Now I get it.”
