Elected on 13 March 2013, Francis was the first member of the Society of Jesus to be appointed pope. He was also the first non-European to hold the office since Gregory III (r. 731–741). Francis described his papal name as pointing to what he wants to emulate in Saint Francis of Assisi: to have a poor church for the poor, to always go out to the margins, and to show concern for the natural environment.
Francis' papal motto, Miserando atque eligendo ("by having mercy and by choosing"), contained a central theme of his papacy, God's mercy, which led to conflict with some Catholics on issues such as the reception of Communion by remarried Catholics. In addressing real-life situations, Francis often appealed directly to his experience, in continuity with his synodal way, which shows a renewed emphasis on listening and dialogue. He also placed greater emphasis on church synods and on widespread consultation and dialogue, thus uplifting the roles of laypersons and of women in the Catholic church and criticizing clericalism.
Francis' concern for the poor was noted in his critiques of capitalism, his quite visible support of refugees and migrants, and his outreach to liberationist, anarchist, communist, socialist, and liberal movements in Latin America that were under a cloud during the papacy of John Paul II. Regarding his interpretation of the Doctrine of the Catholic Church, Francis stated that he considers himself to be conservative.
His apostolic exhortation, Evangelii gaudium (Joy of the Gospel), released eight months after his election, were described as programmatic and "a core document of this pontificate", which in his own words purports to point out "new paths for the Church's journey for years to come". He was also known for his "sharp and unscripted remarks".
Vatican II revisited Francis was described as being in close continuity with the Second Vatican Council of Catholic bishops (1962–1965) that strove to read the "signs of the times" and address new questions that had challenged the Catholic Church in the mid-twentieth century, such as its appeal to non-Western cultures."The monopoly exercised by neo-Thomists in the church collapsed" and Christianity increased its appeal to non-Western cultures. It has been suggested that the pontificate of Pope Francis will be looked upon as the "decisive moment in the history of the church in which the full force of the Second Vatican Council's reformist vision was finally realized". Specifically, Francis returned to the Vatican II theme of ressourcement, looking back beyond the Catholic philosophical tradition that had originated with Thomas Aquinas seven centuries before and looking toward original sources in the New Testament.
In contrast to Pope John Paul II (1978–2005) who emphasized continuity with the past in Vatican II's teachings, Francis' words and actions have been noted for their emphasis on Jesus himself and on mercy: a "church that is poor and for the poor", "disposal of the baroque trappings" in liturgical celebrations, and revision of the institutional aspects of the church.
From his first gesture since elected Pope, calling himself simply Bishop of Rome, Francis connected with the thrust of the council away from "legalism, triumphalism, and clericalism". Not only did he appoint more cardinals from the southern hemisphere, but he also made greater use of church synods and instituted a more collegial manner of governance by constituting a Council of Cardinal Advisers from throughout the world to assist him. A church historian called it the "most important step in the history of the church for the past 10 centuries". Fortune magazine, in March 2014, singled out this move in ranking Francis first among "the world's 50 greatest leaders". This might be seen as part of his implementation of Vatican II's call for a more collegial style of leadership and for reform of the Roman Curia.
Francis' refocusing the Church on "a moral theology that rests on scripture and Jesus' command to love" is also seen as coming from the council, as is his uplifting of the laity for mission and calling for the presence of women in theologates. He has also softened the "forbidding" image of the Church by applying Vatican II's views on respect for conscience to issues like atheism, homosexuality, and the sacraments. However, this has led to a struggle between "anti-Vatican II diehards and those clerics who prefer John XXIII's (and Francis') generosity of spirit". On the issue of liturgy, Francis has tried to advance the renewal initiated by Vatican II that would elicit more conscious, active participation by the people. While Francis' predecessors took a dim view of liberation theology, Francis' more positive view is seen as flowing from a discernment of "the signs of the times" called for by Gaudium et spes.
Additionally, Francis has said that "realities are more important than ideas". Through much of Francis' thought, there is an insistence on striking a new course, as well as creating tension between different aspects of Catholic teaching which he stated "must constantly be re-rooted in pastoral realities." He has been popular with people across religious lines from the start of his papacy.
Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick, sees Francis' priorities as: formation of the clergy and laity to be capable of warming peoples' hearts, walking with them, dialoguing, and mending their brokenness; solidarity and collegiality; being in a permanent state of mission, with a maternal heart; and speaking up on social justice issues for the improvement of society.
According to the editors of a collection of essays on Francis, "the essence of Francis' theology is formed by a commitment to the poor and the marginalized, and unwillingness to pass moral judgment on others, a dislike of legalism and decrees from on high, and a distrust of monolithic institutions." Francis is very much at home with Dostoyevsky's phrase, "Beauty will save the world." "He's encouraging the Church to live joyfully in the power of Christ's presence, open to the wisdom of the Spirit."
The Church's mission Pope Francis, from the start of his papacy, has called for "a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church's customs... and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today's world rather than for her self-preservation". For Francis, "missionary outreach is paradigmatic for all the Church's activity", and it is "the entire People of God which evangelizes", called upon by their baptism to be missionary disciples. In his view, they should be troubled in conscience that so many live without the sense of purpose and consolation that comes from knowing Jesus Christ and without a faith community for support, with a church "too distant from their needs... a prisoner of its own rigid formulas". His emphasis on joy (Joy of the Gospel, Rejoice and be glad) "is an antidote to the disenchantment and melancholy of the world today", the joy of "doing good with the aim of reviving the spirit of the church". In Dilexit nos he reaffirms that "the greatest danger in mission is that, amid all the things we say and do, we fail to bring about a joyful encounter with the love of Christ who embraces us and saves us".Pope Francis, Dilexit nos, paragraph 208, published on 24 October 2024, accessed on 3 April 2025
Francis was schooled in the Spiritual Exercises of the Jesuit founder Ignatius of Loyola, which immerse their reader in the life of Jesus to gain "an intimate knowledge of our Lord... that I may love Him more and follow Him more closely".
With regard to "tensions and conflicts in the church" under Francis, it has been suggested that "the reason for the uneasiness is the pope's emphasis on mission. There is a profound difference between a church that is a nest or a niche, in which one can find peace, tranquility and seeming stability, and a church that sees itself as missionary through and through – always going out, reaching out to the margins."
With regard to the Catholic's approach to those of other faiths, Francis said that "the worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes: 'I am talking with you in order to persuade you.'" He has called for dialogue that allows for mutual growth by attraction. He also quotes Vatican II on the Church's continual need for reform. He speaks of the Church as "a mother with an open heart", constantly in need of communicating better, becoming "weak with the weak... everything for everyone" (1 Cor 9:22), never retreating into its own security or opting for "rigidity and defensiveness". To him, the Church "always does what good it can even if in the process its shoes get soiled by the mud of the street." He repeats what he told the Church in Buenos Aires, namely that he prefers a Church that is "bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security... caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures." Additionally, Francis decried an administrative approach that prevails over a pastoral approach, saying: "When the church does not emerge from itself to evangelize, it becomes self-referential and therefore becomes sick...The evils that, over time, occur in ecclesiastical institutions have their root in self-referentiality, a kind of theological narcissism."
In March 2016, three years into his papacy, Francis' overall rating in a WIN/GIA poll was higher than that of any secular leader. In October 2018, Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor at large of National Review, responded to conservative criticism of Francis by observing: "Pope Francis didn't start the fires that divide the Catholic Church. Under Francis, they are out in the open more, at the highest levels. There is certainly sunlight that is being shone on things that have been previously in the dark... He may just trust the Holy Spirit more than the rest of us to sort it out." Cardinal Michael Czerny has explained the attacks against Pope Francis by a minority in the church and society, stating that it means "he's on target".
Church governance Just two months into Francis' papacy, the theologian Hans Küng wrote the following piece on him that was carried in both progressive and secular media: It is astonishing how, from the first minute of his election, Pope Francis chose a new style: unlike his predecessor, no miter with gold and jewels, no ermine-trimmed cape, no made-to-measure red shoes and headwear, no magnificent throne. Astonishing, too, that the new pope deliberately abstains from solemn gestures and high-flown rhetoric and speaks in the language of the people. And finally it is astonishing how the new pope emphasizes his humanity: He asked for the prayers of the people before he gave them his blessing; settled his own hotel bill like anybody else; showed his friendliness to the cardinals in the coach, in their shared residence, at the official goodbye; washed the feet of young prisoners, including those of a young Muslim woman. A pope who demonstrates that he is a man with his feet on the ground.
The washing of the feet angered many Catholic traditionalists. Pope Francis had performed the Lenten washing of the feet, traditionally at Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, at a juvenile detention home and included two girls and two Muslims. He stated that he wanted to bring the church closer to the poor and marginalized so as to be in service of one another.