Pope Francis’ Legacy and my Prayers for the Catholic Church

Pope Francis died at the age of 88 in the early morning of April 21, 2025  (Easter Monday) after suffering a stroke. He was the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, serving for twelve years (2013 – 2025). 

He made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, waving to the crowds at Vatican City from the “pope mobile.” His last known outside visitor was U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in his early 30’s.

Here are my thoughts on Pope Francis’ legacy and how I’m praying for the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope Francis’ Legacy  and my Prayers for the Catholic Church

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1936, Pope Francis was the first leader of the Roman Catholic Church from Latin America. One of our YWAM leaders prayed often with “Father Bergoglio” before his rise to the papacy. That association made me feel closer to him than other popes, and I enjoyed interceding for him and his global role.

Like most people, I’ve never had the privilege of meeting a pope. But I came close in 1995 when leading a YWAM team in summer missions in Albania, Macedonia, and finally Rome, Italy.  

The pope we encountered I consider the greatest of my lifetime–Pope John Paul II. Here’s the excerpt of our visit from my autobiography One Small Life:

[On August 10, 1995], after many months of letters and contacts, we were confirmed to sing for Pope John Paul at St. Peter’s Basilica. It took place during his public day at the Vatican with 15,000 people in attendance. We sat near the front, did two songs before he arrived, and then did our theme song, “Not by Might, Not by Power, But by My Spirit” for him. The pontiff sat on an ornate chair in front of the hall and politely acknowledged our performance… The pope then delivered messages in seven languages to the people gathered. We prayed much for his leadership and for the worldwide Catholic Church.

[Later that evening] we ministered one more time at the Rome airport. Because our plane was delayed two hours, we had plenty of time to do a huge open-air to all the passengers gathered who were waiting with us. It was fantastic. During the performance, an “angel” came to see us –a man who handed us a large photo of our singing before the pope. He said not to tell anyone about the gift (pictures were forbidden at the public day gathering). Then he left. We practically cried with joy over this final encouragement from God.

I’ve prayed much more for the Roman Catholic Church since this meeting thirty years ago.

Pope Francis was a positive leader of the Church in areas of faith, grace, and compassion for the needy. He never lived in extravagance, and forcibly contended for the poor and displaced around the world.

As a liberation theologian, I disagreed with many of his positions including global warming, environmental extremism, and especially open borders (in deference to the poor). In this latter category, the pope didn’t live what he preached. Though Vatican City is fairly open to tourists and visitors, many walls and doors block the crowds from going anywhere they want. Boundaries are necessary.

Open borders only work in heaven–not in a fallen world where criminals and trespassers are free to cause mayhem. 

Overall, I prayed that God would use Pope Francis to point people to God and the truth found in Jesus Christ.

In my early years, I was critical of the Roman Catholic Church–for various reasons. I thought the veneration of Mary was idolatrous, confession should be primarily to God not priests, and worship services often boring and liturgical–lacking in joy, great Bible teaching, and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

I still believe those criticisms are generally true. 

But as I’ve matured over a lifetime regarding my own sins, mistakes, and wrong emphases, I’ve learned there’s a wide spectrum of the true “Church” (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant) in terms of living out the faith. Some parts of the Body of Christ are further from the vitality and doctrine of the Early Church (probably the best model of biblical faith, though they had their problems too). Others are in the middle. And some are closer to fully practicing the “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).

I’ve learned not to judge so quickly. I find true believers of Jesus in all the streams of the Ekklesia–no matter where they line up on the spectrum.

The Roman Catholic Church, for all its faults, has strengths not found in some evangelical circles. For example, when I was a young believer in a Protestant environment, I was taught that sin didn’t matter to God. It was all about grace. Then pastors began to divorce their wives and sleep around with others–and I woke up to the fact that the evangelical circles I walked in were weak on sin, repentance, and confession.

The Catholic Church was stronger in these areas and others such as caring for the poor, spiritual meditation, and awe and reverence for God. 

On the other hand, many Protestant/Evangelical churches have great strengths in teaching, preaching, believer’s baptism, sharing their faith, global missions, and moving in the power of God.

As the Roman Catholic Church chooses its new leader (pope) in the coming weeks, I believe we should pray for the following emphases to be brought by the Holy Spirit.

First, it would be wise and appropriate for the Catholic Cardinals to choose an African pope. There are only three Black popes in Catholic history: Pope Victor I, who headed the church from 189-199, Pope Miltiades (311-314), and Pope Gelasius I, who was pope from 492-496.

But none for the past 1500 years.

As Church growth is exploding more powerfully in the Southern Hemisphere, now is the time to bring in the beauty and vitality of the African Church. Pope Francis was a similar choice from Latin America.

The new African pope should also be charismatic or Pentecostal. God is using this portion of the Church more than any in the 21st century. 

Second, it’s time for the Roman Catholic Church to return to common (biblical) sense in two areas:

1) The pope is not infallible. No human being is, regardless of office. The pope can lead the Catholic realm, but be honest about his own sins and lack of perfect judgment.

2) The Roman Catholic Church should follow the Protestant example of allowing priests (and nuns) to marry. It’s the natural and biblical order. Forcing celibacy (it can still be a personal choice) only increases sexual temptations and abuses–such as rocked the American Catholic Church in the 1980s. 

Finally, the new pope should inspire 21st century Catholics to complete the Great Commission. It’s time for a new generation of on-fire Jesuits, Franciscans, and Dominicans to circle the globe sharing the zeal of their forefathers [like Francis Xavier (1506-1552), Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) and Marques Marquette (1637-1675)].

It’s time for the whole Church to take the whole Gospel to the whole world. 

Of the 2.4 billion global followers of Jesus who celebrated Jesus’ death and resurrection this past weekend (including Pope Francis), 1.4 billion of them are part of the Roman Catholic Church. 

Let’s pray for the new pope who is soon to be chosen. Let’s pray for the Roman Catholic Church to be vital practitioners of the whole counsel of God. 

The one-third Christian world (2.4 billion) needs to evangelize the two-thirds lost world (5.8 billion).

The next leader of Roman Catholic Church can help point the way.