Activism of the Catholic Church

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Pope Francis was a beacon of leadership for the Catholic Church, constantly speaking out against social justice issues and supporting marginalized groups. His passing on April 21 marked a devastating loss for the Catholic community, but his legacy and impact on the world will never be forgotten.

During his papacy, which began in 2013, he provided hope for Catholic and non-Catholic individuals, paving the way for love and acceptance of everyone regardless of their identity or orientation. While Christianity tends to lean towards a traditional stance, Pope Francis was a role model for progress. 

In a time when climate change has been questioned by many, Pope Francis was always an advocate for the ongoing climate crisis, encouraging global leaders to take action. From the beginning, he has shown his love for the environment. When he became pope, he took his pontifical name from St. Francis of Assisi, known for his love and respect for nature and God’s creation. A couple of years into his papacy in 2015, he released his encyclical “Laudato Si’,” which was about taking care of the planet and combating climate change: “The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all. At the global level, it is a complex system linked to many of the essential conditions for human life.” 

Pope Francis’ climate encyclical even inspired many Catholic climate groups to form, like the Laudato Si’ Movement, which aims to inspire people to take care of our planet and achieve environmental justice. It is important to have figures like Pope Francis in the Catholic community who can bring together science and morality.

Pope Francis also strayed away from a lot of the traditional limitations of Catholicism, welcoming into the Catholic Church people who, for a long time, were not accepted. In his autobiography “Hope,” he stated, "Everyone in the Church is invited, including people who are divorced, including people who are homosexual, including people who are transgender." According to the BBC, “Pope Francis roundly condemned countries that consider homosexuality a crime, and he talked of divorce sometimes being ‘morally necessary’, citing cases of domestic abuse.” While discrimination in the Catholic community does still widely exist based on these factors, Pope Francis took steps towards progress.

Now that Pope Leo XIV has been selected as the next Bishop of the Vatican, he has a large legacy to live up to. Hopefully he will continue to foster love in the Catholic community and follow Pope Francis' example.