The Pope Who Blessed the Margins (And Upset the Middle)
The complicated legacy of Pope Francis — part reformer, part rule-breaker, and always hard to pin down.
Pope Francis changed the Catholic Church — but how far did he really go? In this episode of Complexified, Vatican reporter Claire Giangravè joins host Amanda Henderson to reflect on the legacy of Pope Francis. From his early image as a reformer to his efforts to include marginalized communities, we explore the tensions that defined his papacy. Plus, what actually happens when a pope dies — and how a new one is chosen.
00:00 Why Pope Francis Matters
01:52 A Reformer from the Start
03:50 Comfort in Chaos: COVID and Global Nationalism
05:09 LGBTQ+ Catholics and Vatican Politics
07:27 Synodality and Church Governance
09:10 How the Conclave Works
13:07 Language, Power, and Papal Politics
15:04 Divisions and the Future of Catholicism
17:03 Structure vs. Relational Religion
