Most people throughout the world have recently heard the news of Pope Francis’s passing. As a high school student, it is important to recognize that a lot of our peers are not religious in any way or do not resonate with Christianity or the Catholic religion. Educating them that a majority of the people on Earth believe a Pope’s true purpose is to serve as a supreme pastor and to guide over 1.3 billion people in the world who are Catholic is crucial. While that is a huge part of a Pope’s job, much of the work a Pope does goes unnoticed by many, this is especially true when looking at the work of the late Pope Francis. Pope Francis was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from March 13th, 2013, until his death on April 21st, 2025. 

I want to state upfront that though I am not Catholic, I am a past Catholic parochial school attendee, who has been to church many times, as well as being enrolled in daily religion classes. I have heard many diverse and sometimes hateful values which can, in my opinion, represent a different religion that people can not feel represented, wanted, or even safe in. The issue I want to discuss is the right to same-sex relationships in the Catholic church. One of Pope Francis’s major impacts on the world includes allowing Roman Catholic Priests to be able to bless same-sex couples. In addition to being a strong advocate of LGBTQ people, Pope Francis stated in one of his many interviews that, “being homosexual is not a crime. It is not a crime.”  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops writes, “He defined as ‘unjust’ laws that criminalize homosexuality or homosexual activity and urged church members, including bishops, to show ‘tenderness’ as God does with each of his children.” 

Pope Francis’s brave remarks were in a way a lot different from the two previous popes, like John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who held more restrictive views. The Pope paved the way for future acceptance of LGBTQ people in the Catholic church. Pope Francis was a lot more than just a religious figure. Pope Francis consistently brought awareness to the importance of “compassion, solidarity, and service to others,” pleading with people to prioritize the welfare of the most vulnerable and to work towards a more just and equitable world. Let’s hope that the newly elected Pope Leo XIV can continue with his legacy.