Orthodox and radically progressive — secrets behind Pope Francis’ popularity

In the case of Francis, the philosophical and epistemic tools of Alberto Methol Ferré, a Uruguayan thinker, and Italian thinkers like Giovani Vattimo, had notable influences. Liberation theology and many radical Jesuit thinkers are associated with the philosophico-theological climate of Francis’s ideas of reforming the Church, opposing the heartless culture of money and profit capitalism. In his conversation with Francis, a known postmodern thinker, Zygmunt Bauman, once said, “I have worked all my life to make humanity a more hospitable place. I arrived at the age of 91, and I have seen many false starts until I became a pessimist. Thank you, because you are for me the light at the end of the tunnel.” Besides, Massimo Borghesi, who has studied the thoughts of Francis, found themes of “polarity” in the pope’s writing, which makes the conservatism and radical affirmations stand in continuous dialogue and self-mutual negotiations.

Born on December 17, 1936, Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) — who was earlier an Argentinian archbishop and assumed the office of the pontiff on March 13, 2013 — is the spiritual leader of Catholics worldwide. As a moral voice, the thoughts and actions of popes have global significance in matters related to political and social principles of coexistence. If we can go by the recent communiqué from the Gemelli Hospital in Italy, where he was admitted due to severe pneumonia, only miracles can bring him back to normal life. Given the spectrum of the involvements and interventions, both administrative and spiritual ethical actions, including journeys he made to different places and countries, perhaps the Pontiff himself tells the world that it is time to look at his pontificate as part of history.

It is often said that “the Pope is definitively conservative”. Though Francis has called himself conservative, he has not been so in the conventional sense. Rather, he has been orthodox and radically progressive in his outlook. As some popular sources say, Pope Francis was chosen as “miserando atque eligendo” (by having mercy, by choosing him). His papacy led to conflict with some Catholics on issues such as the reception of Communion by remarried Catholics. In addressing real-life situations, he often appeals directly to his experience, in continuity with his synodal way, which shows a renewed emphasis on listening and dialogue.

He has also placed greater emphasis on church synods and widespread consultation and dialogue, thus uplifting the roles of laypersons and women in the Catholic Church. His concern for the poor is noted in his critiques of capitalism, his quite visible support of refugees and migrants, and his outreach to liberationist, anarchist, communist, socialist, and liberal movements in Latin America that were under a cloud during the papacy of John Paul II. He turned a Vatican plaza into a refuge for the homeless, whom he called “nobles of the street”. He washed the feet of migrants and prisoners during the traditional foot-washing ceremony on the Thursday before Easter. In an unprecedented act for a pope, he also washed the feet of non-Christians. He has encouraged a more welcoming attitude toward gay and lesbian Catholics and invited transgender people to meet with him at the Vatican.

All of his papal letters present a unique and organic philosophy of just coexistence, a democracy of dialogue and intercultural bonding. However, “Laudato si’ – Praise Be to You” stands apart with extreme contextual significance. As Joe Cady summarises, “Pope Francis published his Encyclical Laudato si’: On Care for our Common Home, as a way of reiterating the Church’s call for responsible stewardship of creation and calling all of us to ensure that our methods of production and consumption honour our Creator, respect the Lord’s command to care for creation, and serve the needs of the human family (especially the poorest and most vulnerable).” We should be neither exploiters of nature nor worshipers of it. There is a need to change structures and hearts. A paradigm shift is needed. A return to ethics and moral realism. The connection between social issues and environmental issues and the interconnectedness of all of our relationships. As Francis himself mentioned, the target audience of Laudato si’ was not just Christians or Catholics; it was for everyone who lives on the planet.

The same kind of creativity is seen in Francis’s ideas about interreligious dialogue and peace. His interfaith dialogues in the context of the secular/post-secular debates initiate an ethical self-understanding of religions.

The writer is associate professor, Department of Philosophy, Assam University, Silchar