It may still sound unlikely, but before becoming Pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio—later Pope Francis—worked as a nightclub bouncer in Buenos Aires. He took on this job, among others, to support himself and his family during his youth. This experience, along with roles such as janitor, chemical lab assistant, and literature teacher, contributed to his grounded and empathetic approach to leadership. He has later mentioned that these early jobs helped him understand and connect with people from all walks of life.
Upon his election as Pope in 2013, he chose the name “Francis” in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. This choice was inspired by the saint’s dedication to poverty, humility, and care for creation.
There are so many things for which the Pope will be remembered, as he definitely left his indelible mark on the face of Earth, but a few stood out so brightly, they make him one of the greatest Popes, at least for me.
Pope Francis has taken significant steps to address the Catholic Church’s clerical sexual abuse crisis. Early in his papacy, he established the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and introduced Vatican laws that made it a crime to fail to report abuse. He implemented procedures for holding bishops accountable, including the 2019 Vos Estis Lux Mundi document, which set global standards for reporting abuse and disciplining clergy.
On financial reform, Pope Francis prioritized cleaning up the Vatican’s historically opaque finances. He streamlined and restructured departments such as the Vatican Bank and the Secretariat for the Economy, bringing in external auditors and lay experts to improve transparency. He supported high-profile investigations into corruption and embezzlement, even involving senior Vatican officials. His reforms aim to align Church finances with accountability, integrity, and service principles, though some efforts have faced internal resistance and political pushback.
Pope Francis has been a tireless advocate for peace. He has consistently condemned armed conflict, weapons proliferation, and what he called a “piecemeal Third World War”—regional tensions and proxy wars. He has called for ceasefires, humanitarian aid and diplomatic solutions from Syria to Ukraine to Gaza. He denounced the arms trade and nuclear weapons, even declaring the possession of nuclear arms immoral. His approach reflects a deeply human-centered, ethical vision rooted in Catholic social teaching.
Go in grace, people’s Pope, faithful servant of God.
Photo by Ashwin Vaswani on Unsplash. Unsplash License.