The life and legacy of Pope Francis

Pope Francis has died at the age of eighty-eight. He was the second-oldest pontiff in modern history (after Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903 at the age of ninety-three). His passing is one of those consequential events by which we mark history.

My parents always knew where they were when they heard that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. Likewise, I will always remember where I was on 9/11. And we all have personal events that tell our story: our conversion, our wedding, the birth of our children and grandchildren, and so on.

So it is today with the more than 1.4 billion Roman Catholics worldwide. In their theological worldview, Francis was the apostolic successor to Saint Peter, the disciple upon whom the church was built (cf. Matthew 16:18). They believe that an unbroken line of 266 popes extends from Peter to him.

As a result, his death marks the passing of an era. And it invites us to consider the significance of his life and legacy for our own.

The janitor who became pope

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Francis was the first pope from the Americas, the first non-European pope, and the first Jesuit pope. He was also the first to take the name “Francis” for himself.

A janitor and nightclub bouncer before becoming a Jesuit, Francis was a brilliant scholar who was fluent in Italian and Spanish and comfortable speaking French, German, Portuguese, and English. He was also proficient in Latin, biblical Hebrew, and biblical Greek. 

Before he became pope in 2013, Cardinal Bergoglio was known especially for his modesty. He lived in downtown Buenos Aires in a room heated by a small stove, traveled by bus, and cooked his own meals.

He was named Time magazine’s 2013 Person of the Year for his commitment to the poor, personal humility, and engagement with contemporary media. In the years since, he occupied a middle position between conservatives and more progressive Catholics.

As a result, some conservative members considered his more lenient views on a number of issues to be supporting heresy. However, while he stated that homosexuality is not a crime, he did consider it a “sin.” And he declared that same-sex unions cannot be blessed by the church.

Distinguishing essentials from non-essentials

Pope Francis’s efforts to navigate the deep cultural divides of our day are instructive for all Christians who seek to be salt and light in our society.

A saying attributed to St. Augustine, John Wesley, and others advises:

“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

The key is distinguishing between “essentials” and “non-essentials.”

For example, I believe that salvation is received only through faith in Christ (cf. John 3:18; 14:6; Acts 4:12). However, I do not believe that baptism by immersion is necessary to such salvation (cf. Ephesians 2:8–9; Luke 23:43).

Accordingly, I consider salvation through Christ alone to be “essential” and the mode of baptism to be “non-essential.” This means I can work in close fellowship with any who share my conviction regarding the necessity of faith in Christ, whatever baptism methods they practice. Some of my closest friends and colleagues in ministry have been Presbyterians, Methodists, and Catholics with whom I disagreed over baptism theology. But they believed, as I do, that all people need to trust in Christ as their Savior and Lord.

There are some, of course, who disagree with me on both subjects. Some today are Christian universalists, meaning that they believe everyone goes to heaven regardless of their personal faith in Christ or lack thereof. Conversely, some insist on baptism by immersion in their church tradition as an essential part of salvation.

They would agree with me regarding the value of the italicized statement framing this conversation, but they would disagree with me regarding its application.

“Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?”

I predict that Pope Francis’ legacy will largely be viewed through this prism. For some, he will be remembered as a cultural missionary who sought to lead the Catholic Church into greater social engagement and relevance for the sake of those in need of its message and ministry. For others, he will be remembered as a cultural compromiser whose “bugle [gave] an indistinct sound,” confusing the Church and secular society (1 Corinthians 14:8).

None of us can know his heart, of course. But one way to judge his motives is to consider his personal actions. As I noted in my Daily Article today, the pope was especially known for his personal humility. He served humble people and advocated for them across his ministry and his papacy. He was famous for not seeking fame but living as simply as he could.

A friend of mine who knew Cardinal Bergoglio before he became pope assured me that these acts were all sincere reflections of his genuine humility. In an interview, Francis was asked, “Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?” His answer: “I am a sinner. That is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner.”

In Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness, Andrew Murray wrote: “Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.”

Do you agree?