“The style is man.” If a phrase could summarize the pontificate of Pope Francis, that would be all. From the moment he appeared on the balcony of San Pedro [in 2013]After choosing the name Francis, in reference to the poor man of Assisi, he established a new style and a distinctive tone. A simple “good night”, a request for the faithful to pray for him before blessing them, the refusal to occupy the papal apartments: these first gestures were not simply symbolic communications. Approximately 12 years, Francis embodied a break by representing a more accessible, humble papacy, in other words, more aligned with the gospel message.
The message was clear and universally understood: the Pope serves the weakest and most vulnerable because they are in the heart of the Gospel. Those whom the world perceives as “last” are the first in the heart of God. Where John Paul II sought to restore a form of power and authority to the Catholic Church, Benedict XVI put on the side of rigor and reason, at the risk of stiffness. Francis leaned towards the poorest, to the global south and what he called “the peripheries”, and said: “God is on your side.”
His way of being, without bomb, without ornaments, meant significantly to restore a positive image of the papacy in global public opinion. However, he disappointed, also irritated, those who see Catholicism as an identity to be defended and preserved.
In July 2013, duration of his trip to Lampedusa, he established the pattern. When launching a crown of flowers into the sea, he paid tribute to the thousands of migrants who died trying to cross the Mediterranean and condemned “the globalization of indifference.” It was a spiritual and moral posture. From then on, without respite, the convicted restrictive migration policies denounced the selfishness of the rich nations of the north and preached an unconditional duty of hospitality at every time. When he is accused of participating in politics, it was replied that it was the Gospel.
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