POLITICS: Death of Pope Francis puts major choice before his church

Catholics, along with much of the rest of the world, are in mourning this week over the death of Pope Francis.

He was, indeed, a deservedly beloved figure — one who cared deeply about the human condition, no matter what anyone might think about the course he prescribed.

And now the Roman Catholic Church finds itself on the threshold of a momentous decision about the future direction of the faith. We wish it luck.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglia in Buenos Aires, in a working-class area, Pope Francis enjoyed a not-always-smooth rise through the ranks first of the Jesuit Order and then the wider church.

He faced the dangers and difficulties of Argentina’s Dirty War and never lost his affection for the neglected and marginalized of society even as he ascended within the Vatican.

Then came his unexpected elevation to pope in the aftermath of the astonishing resignation of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, in 2013. 

Francis soon developed an image as an unapologetic change agent within the church, and the world’s view of him was colored by his clear desire to somehow bring Rome more in line with the theology and politics of the modern world. 

In 2023, he granted priests the ability to bless (in certain circumstances) same-sex couples; he also OK’d having transgender people serve as godparents within the church. 

He was a climate-change evangelist, calling pollution a “sin” early in his papacy. 

He took a very standard leftist line on President Donald Trump, decrying his plans for mass deportation of illegal immigrants.

He even went so far as to call for an investigation of Israel over its nonexistent genocide in Gaza. 

Actions both theological and political, and all bearing the progressive stamp. 

These, of course, intensify the drama around the election of his successor.

Will it be another political and/or theological left-leaner? A strong traditionalist, like his predecessor? 

All religions must balance the need to bend with the times while continuing to uphold their core tenets and traditions.

The next pope will have to do that and more: He’ll have to repair the split among his own followers on the church’s direction and soothe the hard feelings any decision will likely spur along the way.

A new pontiff will also need to navigate the larger themes of the current global politics that have now come for Rome.

And all while the faithful mourn the loss of a powerful and beloved father.