A modest lifestyle for far -reaching reforms
Francis was elected to his position in March 2013 after his predecessor’s retirement, the sixteenth Benedict. He adopted the name “Francis,” a name that was not used earlier, and began a series of significant changes.
“He doesn’t come from Europe, not part of the European intellectual elite with a very particular training type, he’s just something else entirely,” says Bar-Asher Sigal. “Secondly, he is also Jesusi. He is part of a very large order within the Catholic community, but the first one chosen.”
The Society of Jesuits are a religious order founded in 1540 by Ignatius Melula. The Order is recognized in his focus on education and massage, and is considered a relatively progressive order in the Catholic Church. “What is unique about the Jesusian Order is the call and sanctification of poverty and simplicity, and it really characterized it,” explains Bar-Asher Sigal.
“It is also very evident at the simplest level of his conduct in the public sphere,” says Bar-Asher Sigal, who was also around the previous Pope several times. “Instead of the practice of most episodes to wear designer and brands, he comes and announces that he wants simple shoes.”
Francis went step by step to change the Vatican’s prestigious culture. He replaced the prestigious Hambourgini cars for a simple car, refused to live in the magnificent pope palace and made him an open museum a crowd. Instead, he chose to live in dorms with the simple priests, and even replaced the diamond -studded cross and gems with a relatively simple cross.
The desire to be close to the people even at a risk price
“The previous Pope lowered the plastic on the popobobobic windows designed to protect against shots” about the Pope’s vehicle, the researcher says. “When he says he prefers not to be distant from the people.
As Archbishop, Francis became known in his modest lifestyle: he left his palace and moved to the apartment in the city and used to travel on public transport. “I saw him, personally, how he got off the Pope’s respectable car and talked to everyone,” says Bar -Asher Siegel.
Advanced reforms and attitudes
Pope Francis was different from his predecessors not only in his personal conduct but also in his opinions. “Unlike the previous pope who was very rigid, strict, severe and aggravated, the last Pope (Francis) was different,” says Bar-Asher Sigal.
“He came out with some statements that they were facing the Lebanese community, treated the church corruption, treated the phenomenon of pedophiles – some say that not enough – and yet he was not afraid to confront these difficult issues,” she explains.
As mentioned, one of Francis’s famous and revolutionary statements was in the context of the LGBT community. On another occasion, in 2013, Francis stated when he said “Who am I to judge gays?”, And in 2020 stated that “homosexuals have a right to start a family.”
Relationships with Judaism and war in Gaza
Francis also worked to promote inter-religious dialogue. “He opened all kinds of initiatives of inter -religious discourse, and in fact promoted the church decision in relation to the Jews.” He continued in the direction that the church began in the 1960s, whereby Christianity is the tree and the Jews are its roots.
However, the Pope did not refrain from visiting Israel during the war in Gaza. “During the war, he came out in pro-Palestinian statements that condemn Israel for the innocent Palestinians in Gaza.
In a meeting with Shavei and kidnapped families in November 2024, he said: “I pray for you and for your people. The first important thing is to save people.” But in December of that year, he expressed against the violation of Gazans: “Israel is sprayed with children in the machine guns and a bombardment of schools and hospitals in the Gaza Strip … what cruelty, this is not a war.”
Why did he decide to stay in office until his death?
Throughout his life, Francis suffered from various health problems, including removing some of his lungs at the age of 21, making him more vulnerable to infections. Nevertheless, despite rumors of his intention to retire, a few months ago, the Pope announced that he was planning to remain in office until his death.
In an interview, the question arose whether the Pope’s decision not to retire despite his degree of health to some extent reminiscent of Ruth Bider Ginsburg, who did not retire from the US Supreme Court for fear of who would come in place.
“In the conversations I had with people close to him, he found that he had undergone some makeover. “For example, he also visited the grave of Pope Clastinus Fifth, one of the lonely epiphaines he retired before his death, and many people saw it as a sign and signal for his intentions. And just has a feeling that he understands his role as an anti-thesis what happens, and probably decides to stay. ”
How to choose a pope?
The death of Pope Francis will lead to the Conglaw (“Assembly” in Latin), the choice of the next Pope. Bar-Asher Siegel explains the process: “The Catholic Church of the Catholic Church is something that comes around the 11th century, and slowly formulates the rules for this procedure.
“They can’t get out of the room from the moment they get in there. So much so that there would have a special decision by Pope John Paul, who allowed them to go to bed at the Vatican’s hotel, because until then they weren’t allowed to go to bed until they wouldn’t decide,” Bar-Asher Siegel adds.
“Cardinals sit there and choose secret votes. ‘Until white smoke comes out.’
The Pope who brought the church back to the common people
Beyond Francis, Prof. Bar-Asher Siegel concludes the interview with the fact that the Pope’s institution exists: “Although we live in a very cynical world, religion still has a lot of room in the hope of people, their moral decisions, and in the way they look at the world and read it.