On the Passing of Pope Francis

Re-orienting misconceptions of the Catholic Church as we process the immense loss of an imperfect ally

I say this as someone who converted from being an atheist to Catholic while identifying as a woman. Not all Church teachings carry equal weight. As with any religion, there is room for interpretation, nuance, and conscience—which is precisely why progressive Catholics exist in the first place. Dogma ≠ doctrine ≠ tradition. While there are some ultra-conservative Catholics who hold harmful views about women, LGBTQ people, and others, they do not speak for the majority of us.

The passing of Pope Francis is terrifying, especially for progressive Catholics. This opens the door for an extremely conservative and traditional Pope to be elected, of which there are multiple top picks. And while 110 of the 135 voting Cardinals were appointed by Francis, his legacy is not guaranteed. In the U.S., we have several generations of younger, more conservative priests as a result of previous leadership. Folks are afraid of a resurgence of that, which is a valid fear and worthy of grief.

The Pope — past, present, and future— is not infallible, and is human like the rest of us. We can acknowledge that Pope Francis made many mistakes, while also recognizing that he contributed immensely to reorienting the Catholic Church back to its roots of caring for the poor, protecting the environment, and promoting social justice.

Let us not forget, Catholics were also targeted by Nazis and forced into concentration camps, including saints like Maximilian Kolbe, who was martyred at Auschwitz for standing up against the Nazis.

As we hold space for our allies in this time of uncertainty, let us continue to focus on what we share in common: a commitment to democracy, a rejection of authoritarianism, and a belief that institutions—religious and political alike—should serve the many, not just the privileged few.

Let us lead with that shared vision.