From the moment he took the helm of the Catholic Church’s sprawling hierarchy, Pope Francis positioned himself as a pastor close to the people he served, and he called out the behavior of priests who were distant from and thought they were superior to their flocks.

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World leaders offered condolences for Pope Francis almost immediately after the pontiff died April 21 — a reflection of popes’ importance in diplomacy and geopolitics.

Pope Francis was a pastor first, “so consistently, so spontaneously and with such deep conviction,” that it will remain a gift to the Catholic Church, said Cardinal Michael Czerny.

In an era of intense conflict during the Counter-Reformation, St. Ignatius viewed the church’s role as a summons for believers to strive to be the best Christians they could be – an imperative the late Pope Francis embraced as his own, Father Stephen Spahn said.