At a time when Pope Francis faces serious health challenges, this annual dialogue on the “Francis Factor” examined the leadership and impact of Pope Francis over the last 12 years and going forward. The day after he was elected pope in 2013, he explained that he chose the name Francis in honor of St. Francis because St. Francis was a man for the poor, for peace, and for creation. Pope Francis has been a pope for the poor, a pope for peace, and a pope for God’s creation. He is the world’s pastor.
Five respected leaders looked at what Pope Francis brings to the papacy, how he is changing it, and how it is changing him. They examined the major events, themes, and priorities of his time as our Holy Father, including its humble beginnings, his love of migrants and the poor, his journey to the United States, his witness in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his teachings on the Joy of the Gospel, care for our common home, and “a better kind of politics.”
This Dahlgren Dialogue also examined the resistance to Pope Francis’ leadership and priorities, along with the continuing impact of Pope Francis in our own lives and in the Catholic Church, nation, and world.
Rev. Mark Bosco, S.J., vice president for Mission & Ministry, opened this Dahlgren Dialogue. Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative, member of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, and an expert participant in the Synod on Synodality, moderated the dialogue.
Georgetown University’s Dahlgren Dialogues, co-sponsored by the Office of Mission & Ministry and the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, are a series of substantive conversations with experienced leaders in the context of prayerful reflection on current topics at the intersection of faith and public life.
Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images
Resources
View resources from this Dahlgren Dialogue.
