In a time roiled with fear, division and rancor, the loss of Pope Francis is a cruel and stunning blow. The pontiff — who died early Monday morning at the age of 88, after celebrating Holy Week — made a deep and profound impact on the face of Catholicism worldwide and was a voice for healing and justice that resonated beyond the boundaries of the Catholic church.

He commanded the attention of world leaders in a way that few of his predecessors attempted, focusing a clear and holy light on the plight of the poor and marginalized. He spoke with simple eloquence on the duty of humans to respect divine gifts — including the planet we share. He insisted the church hold itself accountable for sins of its recent past.

That gentle fearlessness came with a populist appeal: Francis rejected many of the luxurious trappings of his office (famously, he often swapped the papal limousine for a modest Fiat or Ford, and rarely appeared in elaborate vestments or jeweled pectorals). He took to social media and personal appearances to make his points directly to the people who looked to him for guidance. And he often charmed his followers with informality and humor, often sharing the spotlight with children.

Time and again, he rebuked judgmental viewpoints with a quiet emphasis on shared humanity. That led him to abandon the church’s condemnation of homosexual relationships, relaxing rules to allow blessings of same-sex couples (though he stopped short of suggesting that lesbian or gay marriages could be solemnized in the church, and maintained an opposition to gender reassignment).

He also broke down barriers that kept women out of senior positions in the church, though again, he didn’t go as far as to endorse their ordination as priests. His key message: All were welcome in the church he led — exemplified during a 2023 gathering in Portugal where he led a half-million young people chanting “todos, todos, todos,” Spanish for “everyone, everyone, everyone.” And though he once embraced the church’s policy of denying claims of sexual abuse, he came to express deep penitence for that stance, along with a commitment to do a better job of holding abusers accountable.

Francis’ drive for inclusiveness also saw him making common cause with leaders of other faiths, and agreeing to meet with elected officials who embraced the exclusionist policies he often rebuked. “It is impossible for peace to exist without dialogue,” he said in a 2013 interview with the atheist editor of an Italian daily newspaper. “All the wars, all the strife, all the unsolved problems over which we clash are due to a lack of dialogue. When there is a problem, talk: this makes peace.”

He also surprised many with his repeated exhortations to practice better stewardship of the globe: “Time, my brothers and sisters, seems to be running out; we are not yet tearing one another apart, but we are tearing apart our common home. Today, the scientific community realizes what the poor have long told us: harm, perhaps irreversible harm, is being done to the ecosystem. … And behind all this pain, death and destruction there is the stench of what Basil of Caesarea called ‘the dung of the devil:’ An unfettered pursuit of money rules.” These comments, part of a 2015 address in Bolivia, helped set the stage for a common theme that he would visit again and again.

But his deepest compassion and most passionate advocacy was reserved for those who, to too many world leaders, mattered the least: The poor, the immigrants and the refugees who often suffered as political targets. “Openness to God makes us open towards the marginalized of this world, and gives us the courage to leave the confines of our own security and comfort to become bruised, hurting and dirty as we joyfully approach the suffering other,” he said in his first official communication as pope.

Is it any wonder that Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most beloved faith leaders in modern history? His vision — of a world where humanity is elevated above doctrine, and kind humility usurps formality and the trappings of power — is one that should resonate for generations to come in a rich legacy of hope, justice and compassion.

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