Pope Francis: A Pope of Hope

The Influence and Effect of the Catholic Church Under Pope Francis

by Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati

Typically, when one thinks of the Vatican and the orders, ethics, values, and instructions issuing forth from it, one – especially if one is not Catholic — thinks of austerity, strict rules, and regulations; an agenda of proselytization to the non-believers in order to hopefully convert and save them. Additionally, of course, one thinks of phenomenal global service. The Church and its myriad humanitarian organizations reach communities and populations that are otherwise completely un-serviced. From tribal villages to the poorest of the poor, the arms of the Church extend globally with its vast charitable network. Peerless service for believers, new and old, coupled with thick lines between those who live according to the principles of the Bible and those who don’t – this is the way the vast majority of non-Catholics with whom I’ve interacted view the Vatican.

Pope Francis: Openness and Oneness

However, Pope Francis has changed the global perception of the Vatican dramatically. He has thrown open his arms, literally and figuratively, to Christians and non-Christians alike, to those who abide by the traditional morals and ethics of Catholicism and those who don’t. He has shifted the agenda of the Vatican from saving the souls of non-believers to saving the very lives of all of humanity. His emphasis and focus are on exhorting all people – Catholics and non-Catholics – to live as good people, to protect the Earth, to live simply so that others may simply live, to be humble, to smile more and embrace more, and to be open and loving. He not only preaches these values, but he actually lives them.

From a 100+-page encyclical on Climate Change and the importance of mitigating it through our priorities and actions, to his refusal to condemn homosexuals, Pope Francis is turning the Vatican into an agent of positive change.