Among his historical achievements as both the first pontiff from the Global South and the first born outside of Europe in over a millennia, Pope Francis is remembered in the days following his death as “the People’s Pope”.
The political characteristics of his sometimes controversial papacy were dedicated to environmental protection, supporting overlooked Catholic communities and compounding equality in the church.
“[The People’s Pope] is absolutely the best way to describe him,” Jana Bennett, professor and chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Dayton in Ohio, told Fox News Digital.
“He changed the way we think about service to others and service to all and who is worthy of being served by a pope and respected by a pope,” Bennett said.
Pope Francis was the first pope to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, well-known for his call for engagement with the impoverished, love of creation and the Church.
“I think all of those things showed up in Pope Francis’ papacy,” Bennett said.
Born in Buenos Aires, Pope Francis applied his world leadership to underscore care and concern for people at the margins, specifically in areas that lacked an abundance of clergy.
Pope Francis often showed mercy to the impoverished and those at the margins. (The Associated Press)
“He also had a strong awareness of the global nature of the church,” Bennett said. “He had a way of responding to people from different countries, different continents. He was a very sharp politician. He was especially aware of the financial corruption at the Vatican, and he was able to respond to that.”
Pope Francis instituted reforms to ensure charitable and reputable business practices at the Vatican Bank.
“He surrounded himself with advisors,” Bennett said.
