Pope Francis 'changed the church.' Now, some worry his successor might reverse course

A Winnipeg musician says she knew Pope Francis and was personally touched by his generosity years ago, but she also worries about who will fill the role next.

Pope Francis, who led the Catholic church since 2013, died on Monday morning at age 88, according to the Vatican.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio's election as leader of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013, followed the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.

Onna Lou says she knew Pope Francis when he was still Cardinal Bergoglio. He was appointed a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.

Lou, a singer-songwriter who moved to Winnipeg in 2016 from Buenos Aires, Argentina — where Pope Francis was also from — says he stood out as a cardinal, calling out corruption and urging wealthy churchgoers to use their power to make a difference.

"I remember his mass would always be very interesting. He would always say what other priests wouldn't want to say," she told host Marcy Markusa in a Monday interview with CBC Manitoba's Information Radio.

Lou says she later came into contact with Cardinal Bergoglio while studying classical composition at a Catholic university. She had been struggling with student loans and a heavy workload when her mother wrote a letter to the cardinal at the advice of a friend.

"Two days later, she picked up a letter that I presented [at] my college, and I got a full scholarship for the last two years."

Pope Francis was seen as a progressive leader of the Roman Catholic Church, far less concerned about enforcing church doctrine than his predecessors, John Paul II and Benedict, and more interested in opening church doors to those who felt excluded.

His 12-year papacy signalled a more open and welcoming Catholic Church that prioritized empathy for the poor and disenfranchised, including Indigenous victims of Canada's church-run residential schools.

Lou says she's "scared" of who may come next as the head of the church, as U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentina's chainsaw-wielding, "anarcho-capitalist" president, Javier Milei, set a new tone of leadership on the global stage.

"The church has such power in the world. I hope someone will come who will be more interested in uniting people," she said.

While Lou doesn't have the scholarship letter anymore, she remembers the cardinal's signature was written so tiny that she considered it an "expression of how humble he's always been."

"I'm not a Catholic anymore, but I think he was a good leader for the church."

'He will be with us forever'

Nerina Robson, who attends the St. Ignatius Parish in Winnipeg, says people could identify with Pope Francis because he spoke about issues that were important to them, leaving a lasting mark on the church.

"He took an interest in people no matter where they were from or what they were doing," she told Markusa on Monday morning.

"He walked the streets of Argentina. He didn't want to live in opulent settings. He wanted to live where people lived, [and] that really made people feel close to him."

Robson says she wishes Pope Francis could have done more to give women equal status within the church, but she hopes his successor will carry on his progressive legacy.

However, she's also concerned that a new leader might walk back parts of that legacy.

"There are forces in the church that were not happy with what Pope Francis was doing, and I worry that they will take over control of the church," she said.

"That would be really difficult for many Catholics."

Robson also said she found it "amazing" that Pope Francis died as Christians finished marking Easter, a commemoration of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"He's not going to rise again, but he will be with us forever," she said. "He changed the church, he made it more relevant."

In Canada, Pope Francis may be remembered most for his historic apology at the former Ermineskin Residential School in Maskwacis, Alta., in 2022.

After years of pushing for an apology, Pope Francis opened a new chapter of healing for survivors and their families, said Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

"I know that there [were] all these other forces pushing him and pulling him to do this and do that, but he did the right thing, for this country and for this world, by apologizing to First Nations people," she told Markusa.

Woodhouse Nepinak says whoever becomes the next Pope should continue to work with First Nations people, as the Assembly of First Nations has had initial discussions with the Vatican to try and repatriate Indigenous artifacts that are being held there.

"We've been having positive discussions. I hope that that doesn't stop with the passing of His Holiness," she said.

"Let's start talking about, you know, how do we really heal?"

Niigaan Sinclair, an Anishinaabe columnist and editor based in Winnipeg, says Pope Francis responded to Indigenous peoples in ways that his predecessors had never done before.

"I think the church is not for reconciliation, in lots of different ways, but Pope Francis tried to move the church in that direction," Sinclair said on Monday.

Pope Francis's apology to residential school survivors, his acknowledgement that the residential school system had carried out a cultural "genocide," and his rejection of the Doctrine of Discovery likely make him the most progressive pontiff to date, Sinclair said.

"You're probably not going to get a better one than the one we just had."

However, Sinclair said he has "deep fear" that whoever succeeds Pope Francis will be more conservative and traditional in their approach.

He would like to see the Catholic Church take Pope Francis's progressive track record into consideration when deciding who will fill the role next.

"My hope is that all of those are considered in the choice of the next pope."