Pope Francis, the leader of the global Catholic Church, died on April 21 – Easter Monday. Known for his relatively progressive views, the Argentinian prelate, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, made human rights, peace, and conflict resolution defining elements of his 12-year-long papacy.
Francis, who was elected pope in 2013 after the resignation of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, would come to play the role of peacebuilder and mediator in disputes and conflicts all over the world. The former Archbishop of Buenos Aires’ diplomatic efforts were not universally successful or even bereft of criticism, but they were central to his commitment to peace.
Early on in his papacy, Francis and Vatican diplomats were key to a historic 2014 deal that led to the normalization of relations between the US and Cuba, in what The Economist’s John Hooper described in The Guardian as “the biggest success of the Vatican’s ultra-discreet diplomacy for at least 30 years.” The pope himself addressed a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama and his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, calling on them to “resolve humanitarian questions of common interest.” Both leaders credited the pontiff’s role in the diplomatic breakthrough.
After the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Francis referred to the war as a “negation of God’s dream,” and repeatedly expressed his empathy with Ukraine’s civilian population. However, in an attempt to bridge the gap between Kyiv and Moscow the pontiff exercised neutrality and avoided direct confrontation with Vladimir Putin. His calls for negotiations and hopes that Ukraine demonstrate “the courage of the white flag” frustrated many Ukrainians, and were not successful in ending the war.
In the Middle East, Francis also aimed to be a neutral peacebuilder, offering gestures of understanding to both Israelis and Palestinians. In 2014, he hosted Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres for a prayer summit in the Vatican. Under Francis, the Vatican recognized the State of Palestine and established diplomatic relations with the PA in 2015, a move which was met with criticism by the Israeli government. Francis condemned Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel as “abominable” but was also highly critical of Israel’s military strikes in Gaza.
Francis was also active in interreligious dialogue. He was the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq. In 2019, he signed a joint declaration of religious understanding with Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and the highest authority among Sunni Muslims. He made frequent visits to Muslim and Buddhist majority nations, such as Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Mongolia. He also condemned antisemitism and maintained warm relations with the Jewish community and Jewish religious leaders.
Pope Francis was not immune from criticism, and was challenged by victims of sexual abuse for not acting boldly enough in response to widespread allegations of miconduct within the Catholic Church. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), a leading US-founded group supporting victims of clerical abuse, said Francis’ papacy was “a preventable catastrophe for the children and vulnerable people who were abused during his tenure.”
During his last public address on the day before his passing, the pope used his Resurrection Sunday “Urbi et Orbi” speech to call for peace in the world. He asked that “the risen Christ grant Ukraine, devastated by war, his Easter gift of peace, and encourage all parties involved to pursue efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace.” He also appealed for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Francis also expressed wishes for peace in other, often ignored conflicts, such as Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Armenia-Azerbaijan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan, South Sudan, Myanmar, and the Western Balkans, Sahel, Great Lakes, and Horn of Africa regions.
Fittingly, after a life lived in service to the victims of armed conflict, Pope Francis marked his final address with an appeal for peace, saying, “I would like us to renew our hope that peace is possible!”
Keywords: Pope Francis, Pope, Catholic, religion, faith, peace, world peace, interfaith, interfaith dialogue, Easter, Easter Monday, Catholic Church
