Is Pope Francis the First "Woke" Pope?

He was an advocate for migrants, interfaith dialogue as a way to prevent conflict, nuclear disarmament and an end to the death penalty, and the dignity of workers.  Pope Francis collected both friends and foes in his attempt to turn the 1.3 billion strong Catholic Church into a "field hospital" with its doors open to all and with a special love for those on the margins.  

So says the Catholic Courier today, April 21, 2025 upon the death of Pope Francis.  That may be just a little bit understated.  In a hierarchical church, occupying a position that has wielded far more political influence and power than it has taught spiritual principle and encouraged Christian practice, Pope Francis' legacy is a direct contrast to the leadership of his successors in almost every way, including in his emphasis on what it is that actually makes the Catholic Church Christian in its identity.  

If there's anything that actually indicated this Pope was on the right track when it came to reforming the Catholic Church, aiming to return it to its biblical roots, it was the opposition he received from the more conservative elements within the church, especially in the United States.  A quote from an article in America Magazine, a Jesuit publication, says, "What really bothers the detractors of Pope Francis is that his theology stems from reality:  from the reality of injustice, poverty and the destruction of nature, and from the reality of ecclesial clericalism."  

In other words, because he was from South America, his ministry faced a different world than that of most previous popes, one where the academic side of church theology found itself much less relevant in the face of the kind of ministry necessary to bring spiritual comfort along with meeting the physical needs of an overwhelming amount of political oppression, instability and injustice, and a high level of poverty.  He was, according to his critics, not authoritarian enough when it came to pronouncements of sin, too merciful when it came to controversial issues like homosexuality, too lenient on dogma and too critical of conservative politicians supporting the church's political influence in those parts of the world where it is still exercising its Christian nationalist power.  

In other words, he was too connected to an emphasis on practice of the core principles of the gospel of Jesus, and on building a ministry foundation based on that, and that made him seem like a left-wing crusader bent on undermining the church's political influence.  

In other words, Pope Francis was, in whatever way being Pope allowed him to be, "woke." 

The Catholic Church Needs Another Pope Francis to Move Forward

The membership total of the church seems huge, at 1.3 billion.  But that is waning in terms of the actual participation of those members in the life of the church, even in attending its masses.  In the United States, the pandemic, which was one of the crises that this Pope had to deal with during his tenure, cut into church attendance, which was already declining steadily, and hasn't recovered.  The clergy sex abuse scandal, which is pervasive and won't go away, has been swept under the rug for too long, and in spite of Pope Francis' efforts to clean up the mess and deal with it, something he did more effectively than any of his recent predecessors, who more or less ignored it, it has had devastating and far reaching effect.  

While some European countries still take count of church membership based on baptism numbers and as part of their citizenship requirements, church attendance and participation is way down, even in heavily Catholic countries like Poland, Spain and Italy.  Younger people are dropping away, even from cultural traditions like confirmation celebrations.  It is, like its Protestant counterparts, an aging institution that is struggling to survive, a remnant of its former self.  The merger of dozens of parishes and the closure or merger of dozens of its schools every year is a sign of decline that can't be ignored. 

Pope Francis re-introduced the church to ministry that connects people with doctrine and theology, based on the Christian principles of Christ's gospel.  That, in turn, spurred a small revival of interest, the first in quite some time, which brought people back to the church.  And of course, in so doing, it has generated controversy, especially among those who benefit from their own co-opting of church power and influence.  

So the Catholic church now faces a choice.  Do they pick another Pope Francis type of reformer?  Or do they go with conservativism and tradition and hasten their decline and death?  

And just for the record, I'm not Catholic.  My knowledge of Catholic doctrine and theology comes from those with whom I've been friends, over the years, who are practicing Catholics, including a priest whom I've known for over twenty years, and who is himself a big believer in this Pope and the kind of ministry he favored.  I read. So take that into consideration in evaluating my perspective.