** PRESS STATEMENT **

In Memory of Pope Francis – A Catholic Academic Analysis

Immediate release: Wednesday, 23rd April 2025

The Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research is saddened by the death of Pope Francis and extends condolences to our academic colleagues both within the Vatican and those in Catholic universities throughout the world. Pope Francis changed the culture of the official Catholic Church from one of silencing and punishment to a place where, for the first time, theologians and academics could openly question contested teachings.

Pope Francis significantly contributed to reform by advocating for more lay participation in church decision-making and encouraging debate on doctrinal topics. He insisted the church should listen to all its members and often strongly criticized “clericalism,” a mindset where the clergy sees itself as above ordinary Catholics and disregards any obligation to be accountable to the laity. Francis made several concrete steps to ensure lasting change: in 2018, he amended a Canon Law decree concerning how to hold synods (church gatherings called and controlled by the hierarchy), mandating that they be preceded by a consultation of laypeople (Apostolic constitution Episcopalis communio, par. 7, 2018). However, hardly any guidelines have been given for such a consultation, leaving every bishop with ample discretion as to how to carry it out.

In 2022, Pope Francis passed a second piece of legislation, which allowed laypeople (including women) to head most Vatican departments (Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, par. 10 and Art. 15, 2022). Francis often insisted that more women should be appointed to positions of responsibility that do not require ordination.

But regarding more “doctrinal” issues, Pope Francis mostly succeeded only in mellowing the tone rather than altering canon law. Almost no official teaching was changed under his leadership.

The most glaring omission in Francis’s record of challenging the status quo on controversial topics was the question of women’s ministry. Francis was clearly struck by the gender imbalance he witnessed within the Vatican and in the latter years of his papacy added a small number of women to select positions of influence. But he failed to act on what would have been a basic step towards global equality within the Church: recognising and reinstating women as deacons. In fact, on several occasions he admitted that he was personally opposed to women in ordained ministry.

Pope Francis made positive statements on the recognition of same-sex civil unions and offered a more realistic approach to contraception. But in these areas, again, no concrete steps were taken to adjust the official teaching that condemns both. On the Church’s position on divorced and remarried Catholics, Francis cautiously suggested they could, in certain circumstances, receive communion, but the official ban and condemnation of their status remains in place. Francis also showed no inclination to revise the church’s position on mandatory celibacy for priests.

In all those cases, Pope Francis repeatedly decided not to go beyond emphasising mercy rather than abrogating those papal prohibitions against “artificial” contraceptives, communion for divorced and remarried people, same-sex relationships, and mandatory celibacy. This, despite polls showing that most Catholics worldwide would have supported such a repeal.

That official teachings on those and other issues were unrepresentative of, and unsupported by, the People of God was likely what triggered Pope Francis’ novel yet long overdue emphasis on finally listening to the laity, i.e. 99.9% of Catholics worldwide. From now on we can expect official teachings to become more responsive, and faster, to the beliefs and practices of ordinary Catholics, with the pressure for change increasing the greater their divergence from popular opinion. Such a procedural development will likely become one of Pope Francis’ lasting legacies.

Contact:

Miriam Duignan (Executive Director): T +44 7970 926910 E miriam.duignan@wijngaardsinstitute.com

Dr. Luca Badini Confalonieri (Academic Director): T: + 44 7446 283699 E luca.badini@wijngaardsinstitute.com