At times it feels like the progress of the last few decades is slipping away as our institutions and leaders choose to push us back towards the darkness of the past. Frustratingly, it seems that the good fight — that is, the fight for universal equality and the maintenance of basic human dignity — must be fought again. Once more, a brick must be thrown through a window in order to defend the existence of our queer neighbors. Once more, we must take to the streets to protest and let it be known that racial discrimination cannot and will not be an accepted legal practice. Perhaps most importantly, once more, the voices and concerns of the people must be used to insulate against a faux king who wants to stand in the way of democracy.
Sadly, this good fight may soon lose one of its strongest soldiers and most vocal advocates: Pope Francis. At a time when so many of our institutions and leaders have begun to move dangerously in the wrong direction, he has instead chosen to guide what had been one of the most politically and socially conservative institutions — the Catholic Church — towards the light of greater acceptance and love.
Thus, it is the belief of the Editorial Board of The Fordham Ram that Pope Francis’ life, especially his commitment to upholding the Jesuit values of compassion and social justice, should be celebrated and made into an example — a guiding light for both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. In short, all of us, regardless of our professed religious creed, should endeavor to be more like Pope Francis.
Be more like Pope Francis when it comes to the environment. Instead of looking to strip the natural world for parts and quicken its destruction for cheap political points, choose to love it, view it as sacred and do all you can to protect its rapidly fading beauty and gifts.
Be more like Pope Francis when it comes to consumerism. Instead of submerging yourself in unethical, greed-filled and ultimately harmful cycles of mindless consumption, choose to heed the words of one of his homilies: “Let us ask ourselves: Do I really need all these material objects and complicated recipes for living? Can I manage without all these unnecessary extras and live a life of greater simplicity?”
Be more like Pope Francis when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable among us. Instead of supporting the mass deportation of millions of undocumented workers and families, or seeking to cut off humanitarian aid to some of the globe’s most marginalized and disadvantaged communities, we should all choose the alternative. This, of course, being to champion the rights of the downtrodden, to work to uphold “the infinite and transcendent dignity of every human person” and to rebuke those who fail to uphold the biblical call to total and unconditional support.
Be more like Pope Francis when it comes to driving the conversation about LGBTQ+ rights in a more progressive direction. Instead of marginalizing them with hateful rhetoric and policies that work to deny them their fundamental right to a dignified existence, alternatively choose to see them for who they are at their most fundamental level: human beings who are worthy of love.
Be more like Pope Francis when it comes to maintaining democracy. Instead of blindly participating in or acquiescing to the West’s current and terrifying movement away from liberal, representative democracy, seek to push for the inclusion of more diversity in leadership positions and for democratic reforms.
To be sure, Pope Francis has not always steered the Church in the most progressive justice-oriented direction. He has certainly had his fair share of less-than-spectacular moments: protecting powerful abusers from the all-revealing light of justice, using derogatory and hurtful language in reference to the vulnerable and upholding racist colonial logics about lesser-developed areas. However, his leadership within the Church has still been overwhelmingly defined by a persistent desire to do right by the truth of the Gospel message — by the billions of marginalized, forgotten people around the globe. In other words, his papacy has come to be defined by his progressive tendency to move the Church away from the elitist, discriminatory and blood-soaked codes of its often ugly past.
As the world seemingly hurls itself closer and closer to a dystopian future, and as a great man seemingly gets closer and closer to drawing his last breath, it is imperative that we honor his legacy by carrying on his work. We are called to do so not only as members of a university dedicated to upholding the Jesuit values of compassion and social justice, but also as members of a human race bound together by a shared fate and common good. In other words, now is not the time to lament or linger on his papacy potentially coming to an abrupt end; our tears can flow after we have brought his fight for more compassion, more acceptance and more progressive institutions into the future.
