John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost and Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, is an expert on the history of Catholicism. He focuses his research on both American and global religion and politics and has authored four books and numerous articles on religious and political history. His most recent work is “Catholicism: A Global History from the French Revolution to Pope Francis.”

“Pope Francis was the first pope from the Global South, now Catholicism’s demographic center, and that has been hugely meaningful,” McGreevy said. “This is reflected in his focus on the poor — a core theme of Latin American theology since the 1970s — and on migrants and the environment. It is also reflected in his commitment to ‘inculturation’ of the liturgy and Catholic life into local, often Indigenous cultures, as well as his restrictions on the use of the Latin Mass.”

According to McGreevy, Pope Francis also did more than any predecessor to “diminish the monarchical dimensions of the papacy.”

“His informal personal style, the willingness to carry his own luggage and live in Santa Marta, all reflected a caution about the idea of the pope as a prince of sorts,” McGreevy stated. “He is continuing the legacy of John Paul II and Benedict XVI here, but in a much more pronounced way.

“Finally, he began through the process of synodality a new way for Catholics to talk about the issues that divide them or new challenges. The impact of this mechanism is uncertain; but it seems unlikely to be stopped entirely.”

Originally published by Carrie Gates at news.nd.edu on April 21, 2025.