Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Catholic Church, died on Monday at 88, the Vatican announced, ending a 12-year papacy that had inspired equal parts praise and concern.
As Christians, we mourn the loss of a man who strove to embody Christ’s compassion, but his death represents an inflection point. The Church — Catholic or otherwise — must recommit to the uncompromised truth of the Bible, no exceptions, no watering down.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis) was a paradox, the first Jesuit and Latin American pope. He eschewed the luxuries of the papal apartments in Rome and stayed instead in a modest Vatican guesthouse, washing prisoners’ feet as a sign of humility.
But his leadership tended to favor cultural trends instead of Scriptural mandates. His moves — blessing same-sex couples, pushing climate activism, softening the Gospel’s claims about exclusive salvation — seemed like betrayals of the faith we’re here to defend.
The Bible is not an option; it is the Word of God, and it doesn’t yield to the whims of the world.
Even Non-Catholics, but followers of Jesus, know the Church universal isn’t meant to chase relevance, but to proclaim Christ. Francis’ ambivalence on core questions such as marriage, sexuality and salvation left too many people wanting to know where the line was. Genesis 2:24 describes marriage as one man, one woman, for life.
Psalm 139:13 affirms that life is sacred from conception. John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is the exclusive way to God—end of story. If the Church dodges these truths, to avoid offense well, it’s not love it’s cowardice.
Francis fought to the end. He blessed pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday despite having double pneumonia, hours before he died at 7:35 a.m. Monday.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell described him as a “disciple” who lived with “universal love.” His heart for the marginalized should be celebrated, but love must be rooted in reality. The Gospel is for the saving of souls, not egos. Francis’ emphasis on social issues — poverty, migration, the environment — was laudable but risked eclipsing the Church’s chief mission, to proclaim repentance and faith in Christ alone.
We can feed the hungry and also point them to the Bread of Life (John 6:35). Anything less is a disservice to the lost.
With 135 cardinals preparing to gather for the conclave to select a new pope, the stakes are high. Francis named most of them, stacking the deck in favor of his progressive vision. But God’s Spirit is not limited by human odds.
What the Catholic Church needs is a leader who will preach Christ crucified and not a feel-good message that tickles ears. And honestly, every denomination of Christianity could use the same gut check. 2 Timothy 4:3 nails it: People “will not endure sound teaching” but seek what “suits their own passions.” That’s the world today, and the Church must be different.
We are not here to fit in; we’re here to shine out as lights in a crooked generation (Philippians 2:15).
This is not about Catholic tradition or Protestant pride it is about the Scripture being our one authority. The Gospel is described in Romans 1:16 as “the power of God for salvation.” That’s our mandate. Not redefining marriage. Not winking at sin. Not to exalt creation over the Creator. But taking a stand is not without its challenges, even as the world shouts for compliancy.
Consider the early Church: Peter and Paul didn’t cozy up to Rome’s culture — they preached Jesus, even when it cost them their lives. That’s the legacy we must reclaim, whether in Vatican City or a small-town chapel.
Francis’ funeral, planned with a simple wooden coffin, will draw millions, and he may be laid to rest in St. Mary Major Basilica, a departure from Vatican traditions. But his legacy is not the problem. The Church’s future is. That is a question every pastor, priest and believer must ask: Are we serving God or man? The answer is found in how tightly we hold on to Scripture. “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men, for if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10.
If the Church continues to chase approval, it will lose its soul. Let’s pray that the next pope — or any Christian leader — holds the Bible tightly and speaks truth boldly. The world doesn’t need another celebrity preacher. It needs the Church, each of us, rising and pointing unrelentingly to the cross. When Jesus returns, He won’t want to know if we were popular — only if we were faithful.
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