"The style is the man." If one phrase could sum up Pope Francis's pontificate, that would be it. From the moment he appeared on the balcony of Saint Peter's [in 2013], having just chosen the name Francis, in reference to the poor man of Assisi, he set a new style and distinctive tone. A simple "good evening," a request for the faithful to pray for him before blessing them, the refusal to occupy the papal apartments: These first gestures were not merely symbolic communications. Over these 12 years, Francis embodied a break by representing a papacy more accessible, more humble – in other words, more aligned with the Gospel's message.
The message was clear and universally understood: The pope serves the weakest and most vulnerable because they are at the heart of the Gospel. Those whom the world perceives as "last" are first in God's heart. Where John Paul II sought to restore a form of power and authority to the Catholic Church, Benedict XVI sided with rigor and reason, at the risk of rigidity. Francis leaned toward the poorest, toward the Global South and what he called "the peripheries," and told them: "God is on your side."
His way of being, without pomp, without adornment, significantly contributed to restoring a positive image of the papacy in global public opinion. However, he disappointed, even irritated, those who see Catholicism as an identity to be defended and preserved.
In July 2013, during his trip to Lampedusa, he set the tone. By casting a wreath of flowers into the sea, he paid tribute to the thousands of migrants who died trying to cross the Mediterranean and condemned "the globalization of indifference." It was a spiritual and moral stance. From then on, without respite, he condemned restrictive migration policies, denounced the selfishness of the wealthy Northern nations and preached an unconditional duty of hospitality at every opportunity. When accused of engaging in politics, he retorted that it was about the Gospel.
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