"The last pope was exceptional in many ways. First and foremost, he was the first pope chosen outside of Europe since the eighth century, since Gregory III (741–731 CE), who was of Syrian origin," explains Professor Michal Bar-Asher Segal, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, professor at Ben Gurion University, and vice president of the university for international relations, who specializes in Jewish-Christian relations from the early centuries of the common era.
Francis was elected to his position in March 2013 after the resignation of his predecessor, Benedict XVI. He adopted the name "Francis," a name never used before, and began a series of significant changes. "He didn’t come from Europe, not part of the European intellectual elite with a very specific kind of training, he was simply something entirely different," says Bar-Asher Segal.
"Secondly, he is also a Jesuit, part of a very large order within the Catholic community, but the first pope chosen from them." The Jesuits (Society of Jesus) are a religious order founded in 1540 by Ignatius of Loyola, known for their focus on education and missionary work. They are considered relatively progressive within the Catholic Church. "What makes the Jesuit order unique is its call and sanctification of poverty and simplicity, and that very much characterized him," explains Bar-Asher Segal.
"This was very evident in the simplest level of his public behavior," she continues, having been in the presence of the previous pope several times. "Whereas most popes would wear designer shoes and luxury brands, he came and announced that he wanted simple shoes."
Francis took steps to change the luxurious culture of the Vatican. He replaced the luxurious Lamborghini cars with a simple vehicle, refused to live in the lavish papal palace, and turned it into a public museum. Instead, he chose to live with the ordinary priests and even swapped the diamond-studded and gemstone-encrusted cross for a relatively simple one.
Desire to be close to the people, even at the risk of his life
"The previous pope removed the plastic from the windows of the popemobile, which was meant to protect him from gunfire," says the researcher. "He said he preferred not to be distanced from the people. And in response to warnings that he might be killed since he had no protection, he replied, 'Fine, let them kill me,'" a response that reflected his strong desire to remain close to the people, even at the cost of his personal security.
As archbishop, Francis was known for his modest lifestyle: he left his palace and moved to an apartment in the city and used public transportation. "I saw him, personally, how he got out of the pope's distinguished car and talked to everyone," says Bar-Asher Segal. "He didn't first approach the dignitaries but rather the common people, and he really radiated that in every way—washing the hands of the sick and doing things like that, which made him very beloved by the people."
Reforms and Progressive Stances Pope Francis was different from his predecessors not only in his personal conduct but also in his views. "Unlike the previous pope, who was very rigid, meticulous, and severe, the last pope [Francis] was different," says Bar-Asher Segal.
"He made some declarations that were more lenient toward the LGBTQ+ community, dealt with corruption in the Church, tackled the issue of pedophilia—some say not enough—but still, he wasn't afraid to confront these difficult topics," she explains. As mentioned, one of Francis's famous and revolutionary statements was in relation to the LGBTQ+ community. "One of his statements was that even people from the LGBTQ+ community have a place in the afterlife, which was a far-reaching statement," says Bar-Asher Segal. On another occasion, in 2013, Francis shocked the world when he said, "Who am I to judge gays?" and in 2020, he declared, "Homosexuals have the right to form a family."
Relations with Judaism and the war in Gaza
Francis also worked to promote interfaith dialogue. "He initiated various interfaith dialogues and effectively advanced the Church's stance on Jews." He continued in the direction the Church had taken since the 1960s, which holds that Christianity is the tree, and Jews are its roots. "A conciliatory statement towards interfaith dialogue, a very important statement," says Bar-Asher Segal. However, the pope did not hesitate to criticize Israel during the Gaza conflict.
"During the war, he made pro-Palestinian statements condemning Israel for killing innocent Palestinians in Gaza. He took a moral stance regarding the killing of innocent people, very sharp statements criticizing Israel," she notes. In a meeting with former hostages and the families of kidnapped victims 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 spoke out against the harm to Gazans: "Israel is spraying children with machine guns and bombing schools and hospitals in the strip… What cruelty, this is not a war."
Why did he choose to stay until his death?
Francis suffered from various health problems throughout his life, including the removal of part of one of his lungs at the age of 21, making him more vulnerable to infections. Despite this, rumors about his intention to resign circulated, but several months ago, the pope announced that he planned to remain in office until his death. In an interview, the question arose whether his decision to stay despite his declining health resembled Ruth Bader Ginsburg's decision not to retire from the US Supreme Court due to concerns over who would succeed her.
"In conversations I've had with people close to him, it seems he underwent some transformation. At first, he probably had the intention to resign before the end, like his predecessor," responds Bar-Asher Segal. "For example, he even went and visited the grave of Pope Celestine V, one of the few popes to resign before his death, and many saw this as a sign and indication of his intentions. But over time, it seems he realized that staying in office was very important, because he was somewhat of an outsider at the Vatican among the others there. He brought a group of people from Argentina and gave them positions at the Vatican, and it just seems that he understood his role as an antithesis to what was happening, and likely decided to stay."
How is a Pope Chosen?
The death of Pope Francis will lead to the Conclave process (the "assembly" in Latin), the election of the next pope. Bar-Asher Segal explains the process: "The Catholic Church's conclave goes back to around the 11th century, and gradually the rules for this procedure were formed. In the end, it was shaped so that only young cardinals, meaning under the age of 80, can choose."
"They are not allowed to leave the room once they enter. So much so that there had to be a special decision by Pope John Paul to allow them to sleep at the Vatican hotel, because until then, they weren't allowed to go to sleep until they made a decision," adds Bar-Asher Segal. "The cardinals sit there and vote in secret ballots. There are rounds of voting on slips of paper, with long discussions, during which people even change their minds," Bar-Asher Segal describes, adding: "If there's no decision, the ballots are burned in a way that causes the smoke coming from the chapel's chimney to be black, and if there is a decision, then the color is white, which is the source of the famous expression 'until white smoke comes out.'"
Beyond his legacy, Professor Bar-Asher Segal concludes the interview with the significance of the papacy's existence: "Even though we live in a very cynical world, religion still holds a lot of place in people's hopes, in their moral decisions, and in the way they look at the world and interpret it. This pope is really proof of that."
In this regard, she says, Francis's secret was his ability to create a genuine connection with the general public: "Here comes a pope who identifies with the people, relates to the poor, loves football, and the popularity was simply enormous. This shows us the great place religion still holds in people's lives— we see it in Israel, and we see it with the pope globally."
When I asked the researcher whether the power of religious leaders is positive or negative, I received a complex answer, as expected from someone with a central focus on academia: "It's both good and bad. Specifically, this pope is a very nice example of the Catholic Church shifting its focus back to the simple person, to poverty, charity, mercy, in a way that positively affected humanity. Undoubtedly, he was a good pope."
