THE DEATH of Pope Francis comes in the midst of a convulsive period in international affairs, one in which the late pontiff had been expected to play an influential role. His departure removes from the international scene a leader with vast soft power and a distinctly ambiguous view of President Donald Trump’s new administration. Though by no means all of the world’s 1.4bn baptised Roman Catholics follow the guidance of their spiritual leader in temporal matters, even those who vehemently disagree with the opinions of a pope cannot ignore them.