In the early morning after Easter Sunday, news broke that Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic church, had died at 88. Francis was a hugely important figure to many Catholics and non-Catholics alike, and the news was immediately met with mourning, tributes and reflections upon the pope’s life.

Francis’ tenure and legacy are largely characterized by his progressive stances on issues concerning both Catholic theology and the world at large. His humility, steadfast moral compass, decisiveness in leading the church and emphasis on connecting with regular people made him a beloved figure to many.

Through his time as Pope, he was sympathetic to marginalized groups and had a large humanitarian focus, fought against church corruption, had a more accepting stance than many Catholic thought leaders on LGBTQ+ issues, championed the environment and directed the church to be less centralized and more involved in the world.

Francis was distinct because of his departure from many of the norms and traditions that previous popes had followed. He was the first Jesuit pope and the first pope since the eighth century born outside of Europe. He wore simpler and less ornate garments than popes before him and often refused many of the luxuries of papacy—he donated his salary to charities, lived in a small apartment and often chose public transport over private escorts.

Francis was also markedly different from previous popes in his writings and actions as the head of the church. 

David Kwon, an assistant professor of theology and religious studies, described Francis’ predecessors, Benedict XVI and John Paul II, as systemic theologians who focused on translating abstract ideas about theology into human action. This sharply contrasts with Francis’ approach as a practical theologian, who reached out to the people through his experience in ministry.

Fr. Trung Pham, S.J., described how this position as a practical theologian helped Francis guide the church and its leaders to be more involved in the lives and communities of the people they served.

“He talks about how the church should move away from clericalism. He loved for the leaders, priests and people of the church to go out and preach the gospel instead of trying to hang on to the institution,” Pham said.

Pham, who briefly met Pope Francis last December as a part of his involvement with the Eucharistic Youth Group, spoke very highly of the pope.

“[Francis was a] champion with the marginalized, with the poor, compassionate to the people he preached to, and care with everybody, but especially for the earth,” Pham shared.

Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, aligned the church staunchly against the consumerism and industrialism that cause climate change and environmental degradation, and reinforced an extremely pro-environmentalist stance. The document is one of the most important moments from his papal career.

In addition to his environmentalism, he also showed some support for other progressive causes. While he still upheld the church’s views that same-sex relationships are not permissible, he argued that LGBTQ+ individuals could and should still be blessed, famously saying in an interview, “who am I to judge.”

In addition, he also took strong humanitarian stances. Up until he died, Francis would call a parish in Gaza almost daily. He also championed migrants, criticized governments (including the U.S.) that instituted anti-immigration policy and was a proponent of interfaith collaboration.

Francis was also criticized for many of his actions, often for good reason. He still upheld that LGBTQ+ people could not get married under Catholic doctrines, was anti-abortion and anti-contraception, and didn’t allow women to become priests. He received pushback for not doing enough for the causes he championed, and for the way he handled child sexual abuse cases within the church. Others argued that he was too left-leaning and too political, even going as far as to openly call him heretical.

While popular in much of the Western world, his policies on homosexuality received pushback from many Catholic leaders. Kwon detailed how it can be easy to miss the full scope of the church’s reach and influence.

“The Catholic church is a global church. So, the church in Asia and the church in Africa is a bit different than the church in Europe and the church in North America and South America… Some parts of Asian and African and South American churches can be more conservative, so there also [has been] a resistance movement [against Francis’ policies] for the last 10 years,” Kwon explained.

Despite these criticisms, many people were happy to see progressive perspectives at the highest level of the church, especially considering how conservative and traditional the institution often is. Additionally, while some disagree with his specific viewpoints or the implications of Catholic doctrine, many view Francis’ position as a man who committed himself to justice and morality, and spoke out to influence the world for good.

In the wake of Francis’ death, Seattle University and other Catholic institutions in Seattle have been observing a period of mourning for the pope as part of their programming. A portrait of Francis is up in the Chapel of Saint Ignatius, and in addition to incorporating reflections upon his life into the regularly scheduled masses of the week, the chapel held a requiem mass on Wednesday, April 30 at 12:30 p.m.

Yvonne Perez, a recent Seattle U graduate with a degree in psychology, attended the mass on Sunday, April 26, where Fr. Arturo Araujo, S.J. gave a homily that reflected upon the way that Francis worked to enact good upon the world. After the mass, Perez reflected on the example that Francis set for Catholics like her and how he worked to reform the church.

“It’s been beautiful to see that there is progression within the church. They want to welcome all people, and maybe it’s not reflected in every community through the world, but I think that it’s beautiful that Francis was a very prime example of how we should act,” Perez said.

Francis didn’t just give Catholics hope—especially in times of increasing political conflict, many mourn the stable, compassionate perspective that Francis offered, whether they were religious or not.

“[People] could identify that this was a person who was a unique kind of a moral leader, the moral leader of the world. I can’t think of a person from the last 20 years that’s been the equal of Pope Francis as being sort of the moral leader of the world. I don’t know whether that links to religion,” Fr. Stephen Sundborg S.J., a Jesuit and the chancellor of Seattle U, said.

Some people even connect with Francis as a leader more than they connect with the church itself. 

Olivia Rankin, a second-year communications major, was saddened when she heard the news.

“I cried and I don’t even believe in God, but I cried that he had passed,” Rankin shared. “Even though I don’t believe anymore, I was like, ‘who’s going to tell me and the people that are most important to me, how to enact good in the world?’”

Rankin is a prime example of how the Pope’s positions and demeanor made him appealing as a leader, even in the absence of a religious obligation to follow his teachings. She attributes his grounded nature and relatability to why so many people like him.

“He was the Catholic ‘people’s princess,’ like he went out and met people. He had a lot of humility about him… he was for the people, and I think that that is why he was such a beloved figure for so long, and I think that’s why he was really, really cool,” Rankin said.

Again, though, Francis was not only admired by those who are ideologically distant from him. He was also beloved to many Jesuits, especially because he was the first Jesuit pope. Despite his position of authority, some Jesuits, like Sundborg, still viewed Francis as part of the brotherhood.

“So even though he’s been Pope, I think we’ve also thought of him as our Jesuit brother, and therefore I think there’s a special kind of bond that we felt with him and a pride in how he’s carried out what was asked of him,” Sundborg said.

Sundborg had the opportunity to speak with the pope for 45 minutes in 2014, and he shared how intimate and personal Francis was, even in their brief interaction.

“I felt like he was so with us and present and listening and interested in who people were. It was almost like talking with an uncle. I mean, he was a friendly person that we had this intimate kind of a conversation with… it really stands out as the highlight of my Jesuit life,” Sundborg reflected.

Francis was a very special man, and some are worried that whoever replaces him will be unable to maintain the new course that he charted for the Church. Others, though, are confident that his legacy will continue to inspire people to finish the work that he started.

“I hold a lot of hope that he set a precedent that people want to fulfill and continue, because he was that girl,” Rankin said, looking to the future.

In the coming days, a new pope will be elected through the conclave, but the memory of Pope Francis will continue to be honored for years to come. As the leader of the one of the most powerful institutions on the planet, Francis did not make his mark through strength, power or force, but through a deep and compassionate care for every person, and he served to inspire all of us, whether we are simply a Jesuit university student, a staunch atheist, a devout Catholic or anything in between.