Ask Catholics what stood out to them about Pope Francis and the list is long. But there's one thing in particular that many said made Francis a pope for all people — and drew in Catholics from varied ages, backgrounds, and communities : his emphasis on prioritizing those affected by injustice.
"I think Pope Francis was the first pope who really understood the concept of intersectionality. He understood that climate change, poverty, migration, forced migration, racism — that's all connected," said Ruth Roland, the director of mission advancement at Benet Hill Monastery in Colorado Springs.
This idea of interconnection resonated with younger generations of Catholics, a demographic the church has struggled to retain.
"I work with young people and they really love him," said Melissa Montenegro, a youth minister at Christ the King Catholic Church in Richland, Washington. "I love seeing the way that he has brought so many people to the church; the way that he has been attractive to the young people. They really feel like, oh — this is our pope!"
The Rev. Kingsley Ihejirika of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Northampton, Massachusetts also said that Francis' approach made the Catholic Church more accessible.
"I love his message of inclusion — his message of kindness; his message of treating people in the way God would treat them. So I see him as one of the most inclusive popes of our time," said Ihejirika. "He wants people to treat human beings with the dignity and respect they deserve. And that message I carry with me every single day. And I will always remember him for that."
Georgia Bancheri is a medical student who attends Ihejerika's church in Northampton.
"He's done so much for this world that is very important and I really hope the Catholic Church continues in light of how inclusive he's been. And I think there's a lot of people, especially in this country, that associate Catholicism with hatred, lack of inclusivity, and — and in some regards, they're not wrong," said Bancheri. "And I think he's kind of righted the ship."
For many, part of righting that ship is prioritizing the most marginalized. Francis famously called for the church to be a "field hospital" — acknowledging that the work of the church should take place both in and out of the pews. This emphasized a core element of Catholic Social Teaching: the preferential option for the poor, which means centering those who are most in need.
"[Francis] called us to be close to the people and to smell like the sheep. That means to be with the people — to suffer when people are suffering and to rejoice when they are happy," said the Rev. Gonzalo Torres of Immaculate Conception church in Durham, North Carolina. "To be with the people — not to be far away from people, not to be in places of honor, but to follow Jesus."
For Catholics like Torres, following Jesus means focusing on the people that society likes to forget. For Francis, that included migrants, unhoused people and those living with disabilities. Francis' papacy was marked by actions that left an indelible model for his flock to follow.
"He has not only inspired me, he has encouraged me, and he has challenged me as a Catholic, as a Franciscan friar and as a priest in the Catholic Church," said Torres, "to be always with those who are most vulnerable in society."
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