'From his election as pope in 2013, Francis sought to reform'

Pope Francis speaks to an audience during a weekly meeting in Vatican City on Oct. 18, 2023.

Pope Francis 'made clear it is no longer enough to stay in the abstract'

(Image credit: Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

published 21 April 2025

'Pope Francis' greatest achievement was emphasizing mercy'

Austen Ivereigh at Time

Pope Francis' "legacy was his insistence" on mercy, says Austen Ivereigh. What "truly made Francis different from his predecessors was the bold, radical way he sought to put mercy." He "understood that we are living through what he called a 'change of era,' in which faith is no longer primarily inherited through law, culture, and tribal identity." Francis "made clear it is no longer enough to stay in the abstract, at the level of ideals and generalities."

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The "history inside" the National Museum of African American History and Culture "still reverberates through our country," says Clint Smith. It is "impossible to understand the contemporary landscape of social, political, and economic inequality without understanding the forces and events that served as its catalysts." This is the "exact sort of story that Trump and many of his allies would like to excise from museums, classrooms, and every other realm of American life."

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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.