Worldscope

  The Geopolitical Legacy of Pope Francis I. Introduction The death of Pope Francis marks the end of a pontificate that profoundly altered the Catholic Church's engagement with the world. Ascending to the papacy in 2013 as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he was a figure of firsts: the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit, and the first to choose the name Francis, evoking the saint of Assisi known for poverty, peace, and love of creation. These choices signaled a departure, a different kind of leadership poised to leave a distinct mark on global affairs. From the outset, Francis viewed the papacy through a geopolitical lens. His approach was characterized by a relentless emphasis on encounter, dialogue, and mercy, a focus on the world's 'peripheries' – geographical, social, and existential – and a deep concern for integral ecology and social justice. This stood in contrast to the singular anti-communist crusade that defined much of Pope John Paul II's long reign or ...