Pope Francis, ten years on
Playback speed
Almost exactly ten years ago, on 13 March 2013, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis. In the subsequent decade, this previously obscure Argentinian cleric has revolutionised the papacy while steering the Catholic Church through sweeping reform, inside and out. He’s scandalised conservatives and thrilled some progressives, while overturning what the watching world assumed popes had to be like.
In today’s episode we speak with two biographers of Francis to find out their assessment of the pope’s ten years in office. What has he achieved? Where have his ambitions fallen short? Why do some Catholics love him, and still more loathe him like few popes before. And what legacy will he leave behind when he does eventually leave behind the throne of St Peter?
Released on 27 Mar 2023
Coming up next
Christian celebrity culture
It’s hard to spend any time in the church these days without constantly coming up against so-called Christian celebrities. Whether it’s worship leaders, authors or big-name pastors and speakers, it seems the entire infrastructure of the church relies...
Still good news for the poor?
Denominations are much quicker to close down churches based in poorer areas than those serving the rich. That’s the headline finding a report from the charity Church Action on Poverty, which scrutinised five denominations in Greater Manchester to exa...
Faith in the BBC
Last month, staff at BBC local radio stations went on strike in protest at major cuts heading their way. Among locally-produced shows due to be scrapped to make millions of pounds of savings are Sunday services and religious broadcasting, mostly to b...