Pope Francis 'changed the church.' Now, some worry his successor might reverse course

Pope Francis 'changed the church.' Now, some worry his successor might reverse course

A Winnipeg musician says she knew Pope Francis and was personally touched by his generosity years ago, but she also worries about who will fill the role next.

His political activity is controversial, his inner-church course remained unclear, but his special way of speaking about the Christian faith has touched many – and changed the Church. Pope Francis' successor will find an institutional disorder.

Pope Francis Changed a Lot About the Church. One Thing Cannot Be Reversed.

The Vatican will never be the same.

The death of the Pope puts the Catholic Church in the disjunctive of following its progressive legacy or retaking the conservative path longed for by its critics. Before the exequias, the currents that will be faced in the conclave are already profiled. The main candidates, the weight of their geographical origin and their chances among the electors, 80% of whom were appointed cardinal by Francis

Sónia Monteiro, theologian at the Catholic University, analyzes Pope Francis' reforms in the Catholic Church, pointing out that her pontificate leaves “a very difficult mark to reverse” in a future pontificate.

The headlines of this Tuesday's newspapers call Francis a pope of the poor, that of the people and who wanted to change the church. Many faithful salute his commitment to move the lines as if he had made the church more accessible. In Lourdes (High-Pyrenees), the pilgrims feel close to him. By becoming more and more anchored with today's society, Pope Francis gathered many young people. In 2025, the Catholic Church recorded a sharp rise in bapti…