Pope Francis has passed away this Easter Monday at 88 after fighting many ailments. He has just gotten back to his duties and meetings after recovering from severe pneumonia. His recent meetings included JD Vance, the US vice president, and King Charles.
Over the years, he has never been shy about advocating for the right things and fighting for minorities like immigrants. In his papacy, he has said several things that were modern to the whole world. People may not expect a pope to be this cool, but he shocked everyone constantly.
From taking selfies with people to speaking candidly about Atheists, the Pope has always spoken from the heart. Let’s take a look at five things Pope Francis has said that made people admire him so much, but ended up shocking the Church and the Christians.
Views on Homosexuality and Gay Marriage
This was in 2013 when the Pope made headlines with his opinion on homosexuality. He was asked about it as it’s a taboo topic for the Vatican. Instead of negative words, Pope defended the gays. He said he will not judge a gay person who seeks God and has good will. His opinion on this matter was different from that of Benedict XVI, who was his predecessor. So, Francis was not opposed to gays or judged them harshly based on orientation. Recently, he also called the laws that criminalize LGBTQ+ people a sin and said that God loves everyone equally.
Pope Francis said in February that laws criminalizing LGBTQ+ people are a sin because God loves and accompanies people with same-sex attraction. #PrideMonth #Pride2023 https://t.co/rFe6M8Y43l pic.twitter.com/Ux1B6iZLWi
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) June 6, 2023
Nighttime Sneak-outs
There have been some rumors that the Pope went out of the Vatican at night. His nightly routine included giving money to the poor. However, there is no confirmation of this happening, but Archbishop Konrad Krajewski called these the Pope’s nocturnal outings. He added more fuel to this rumor when he was asked about joining the Pope in this service. He only smiled and said, “Next question, please.”
Supporting Abortion
When we talk about another controversial topic, such as abortion, we may predict that a Catholic Pope will have the harshest opinion. However, Pope Francis made an announcement that abortion can be forgiven. He said the priests can forgive abortions if the woman is truly remorseful about the act. This goes opposite to the Roman Catholic canon law that calls abortion a grave offence. It also says that killing a baby in the womb brings excommunication if the person does not come to confess and receive absolution. Many Catholics may not agree with this stance, but the Pope showed a broader mindset here.
im not religious but damn ang lungkot ng passing ni Pope Francis, he’s probably the most progressive pope we had so far. during his last days on earth, he was calling for peace and ceasefire in gaza, he’s even in favor of same sex union. ang lungkot :(( pic.twitter.com/tDwvSTFOs2
— rie (@vsgyaki) April 21, 2025
Suspending the Bishop for Extravagance
Pope has been vocal about climate change issues and how tackling it requires dealing with poverty and the planet’s needs at the same time. For this reason, he does not support extravagance. He once suspended a German bishop who spent $42 million on his house renovations indefinitely.
200,000 Miles on the Popemobile
As mentioned earlier, the Pope isn’t the one to support extravagant indulgences. He trades his Ford Focus with a Renault that’s twenty years old and has 200,000 miles already on it.
