Pope Francis set a path for his successor

Pope Francis was a prelate for his moment. We mourn his passing on Easter Monday and celebrate his essence and many accomplishments. But we must also cast an eye to the future, hoping that his successor will be similarly able to adroitly employ the papacy’s potential for soft power amid the spiritual emptiness and global political turmoil that mark our times.

Who’s next? And what is next? The questions are posed upon the death of every pope, but they are particularly fraught now. With the world in a state of anxiety as wars rage, alliances fray, millions of migrants seek safety and opportunity, and a warming climate batters the planet, the role of one of humanity’s most important and visible spiritual advisers is more critical than ever.

When Francis was elected in 2013 as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, he inherited a church tarred by the scandal of clergy sexual abuse and throttled by the conservative orthodoxy of his two predecessors, Benedict XVI and John Paul II. Francis was a cleansing breath of inclusion and moderation — tendencies sorely needed in our fractured times. The son of immigrants was a voice for immigrants. He reached out to gay Catholics, encouraged new reflection about abortion and divorce, supported those who were religiously prosecuted, extolled the poor in Africa and other parts of the global South, deepened dialogue with other faith leaders, traveled to places no pope had visited, and declared it a moral imperative to fight the ravages of climate change. On topics like slavery and human trafficking, he was an increasingly isolated voice.

In much of his outreach, he expressed compassion for people who held principles with which he disagreed, a lesson for countries like ours so riven by political strife. So, too, his tendency to listen before speaking.

Francis moved the needle in a hidebound institution, not as much as some supporters desired, more than some opponents could stomach. His record of progress was incomplete; his successor must keep pushing forward. Francis expanded the influence of women by moving them into important jobs in the church’s hierarchy, but the next pope must do what Francis would not — welcome their ordination as priests. Too often, church leaders who were complicit in covering up clergy sex abuse evaded accountability; the next pope should be more unequivocal. And Francis was late to the game in condemning Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

But he left humanity with an Easter Day message that was unambiguous and unending, saying, “I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands . . . ”

Whether insisting that the church evolve with the times, celebrating new thinking and new dialogue, or encouraging tolerance and acceptance, Francis used his humility and warmth to push the church — and the world — toward a kinder, gentler place. His strongest legacy would be a successor who continues that effort.