Summary: Pope Francis died Monday at age 88. Comments from Duke University theology professor Peter Casarella are available for use in your coverage.
Quotes:
“Pope Francis was a stark critic of a self-referential Catholic Church and preferred to preach apostolic zeal and the model of a church as a field hospital,” says Peter Casarella, a professor of theology at Duke Divinity School. “He was known for his efforts to reform the Vatican, seeking to address corruption and financial mismanagement within the church. He worked to bring attention to the sexual abuse crisis within the church and took steps to address it, including meeting with survivors and implementing new measures for accountability in multiple contexts.”
“His papacy has not been without controversy, as some of his views on issues like LGBTQ rights, marriage, and gender generated significant discussion within the church. However, Pope Francis consistently called for compassion and understanding, emphasizing the importance of love and respect for all people.”
“Even in the move to Rome, Pope Francis remained a Latin American priest of great humility and simplicity. He chose not to live in the papal apartments but instead to reside in the Vatican guesthouse. He has been noted for his personal connections with people, his willingness to listen, and his down-to-earth nature. As pope, he confounded the Swiss guards in charge of his security by venturing outside of the Vatican to visit a record shop owned by an elderly couple whom he had befriended as a young priest.”
“Pope Francis has also been a vocal advocate for environmental issues, especially climate change, and he published the encyclical “Laudato Si’” in 2015, which called for an ecological conversion to promote global action to protect the environment and care for the planet.”
“Not all Catholics in the U.S. always welcomed his messages in support of social justice and migrants. For example, he wrote a letter to U.S. bishops in January 2025 saying: ‘The act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness.’
“He continued: ‘This is not a minor issue. An authentic rule of law is verified precisely in the dignified treatment that all people deserve, especially the poorest and most marginalized.’”
“Pope Francis also rebuked Vice President J.D. Vance, who is a Catholic, for misrepresenting the ordo amoris (“order of love”) in St. Augustine in terms of expanding concentric circles of diminishing self-interest. However, the two met on Sunday and exchanged Easter greetings. The pope also gave some Easter treats to Vance’s children, so there was a reconciliation of sorts on the pope’s last day of his life.”
Bio:
Peter Casarella is a professor of theology at Duke Divinity School. His primary field of study is systematic theology followed by world religions and world church. Casarella previously taught at the University of Notre Dame and DePaul University. He has published more than 90 essays in scholarly journals or books on a variety of topics including medieval Christian Neoplatonism, contemporary theological aesthetics, intercultural thought, and the Hispanic/Latino presence in the U.S. Catholic Church.
For additional comment, contact Peter Casarella at:
peter.casarella@duke.edu
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Media Contact:
Steve Hartsoe
steve.hartsoe@duke.edu