The College Fix

Francis was ‘unafraid of the new, the modern, the diverse, and the global,’ professor says

Following the passing of Pope Francis on Monday, universities and professors commended his social teachings, his impact on education, and his “advocacy for those on the margins.”

One professor, however, hopes that the next pope will offer more clarity on Catholic social teachings.

Catholic University of America Professor Michael New told The College Fix via email he was “saddened to hear about the passing of Pope Francis.”

However, “one downside to the Papacy of Pope Francis was that there were times he seemed to deemphasize and downplay church teachings on the sanctity of human life, marriage, and sexuality.”

New is hopeful that the next pope will “emphasize what is unique about Catholicism and what is unique about Catholic higher education.”

He said there are many universities where students can learn about social justice issues, but few “where the Church teaching on life, marriage, and family are clearly taught and emphasized in campus life.”

Catholic Universities need to show students that the Church’s “counter-cultural teachings on life, marriage, and human sexuality are a selling point — not a liability. I hope and pray that the next Pope realizes that.”

Several Catholic universities issued statements in response to Francis’s passing, including Notre Dame, Benedictine, the Catholic University of America, and Franciscan, among others.

“We would do well to keep in our hearts the Holy Father’s continual exhortations to entrust ourselves entirely to the love of Jesus Christ, and to give it concrete expression,” CUA President Peter Kilpatrick wrote in a message to the university community.

“His consistent advocacy for those on the margins, including refugees and migrants, underscored the Church’s social teaching about human dignity,” he wrote.

Kilpatrick further urged the university to adopt Pope Francis’ vision for Catholic education, which emphasized forming disciples equipped to tackle modern challenges with both “intellectual rigor and spiritual depth.”

Benedictine University President Joseph Foy called Francis a “pope of many firsts” in a statement.

“He was the first Jesuit to be elected pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first pope ever to take the name of Francis. Early in his pontificate he earned the moniker ‘pope of surprises,’ and for twelve years it remained an accurate assessment of his unprecedented style and sense of vocation,” Foy wrote.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame faculty praised the late pope’s focus on “vulnerable populations” and the environment.

“Pope Francis was the first pope from the Global South, now Catholicism’s demographic center, and that has been hugely meaningful,” history Professor John McGreevy stated in a news release from the school.

This is reflected in Francis’s emphasis on the poor, his attention to migrants and environmental issues, and his dedication to ‘inculturation,’” the professor stated.

Another history professor, Kathleen Cummings, stated that Pope Francis’s teachings “have shaped Notre Dame’s strategic initiatives in profound ways.”

“Through its commitments to alleviating poverty and fostering health and well-being, Notre Dame has joined Pope Francis as a champion of human flourishing, especially within vulnerable populations,” she stated.

Likewise, Professor of Global Affairs R. Scott Appleby said, “the pope’s words inspire Notre Dame’s work in poverty, peace, sustainability and environmental justice.”

Notre Dame’s new initiative, which focuses on a just transition to a sustainable environment, is inspired by Pope Francis’s teachings and example, the professor said.

From Franciscan University, Ronald Bolster, dean of the School of Theology, commended Francis’s evangelization.

“Pope Francis loved his sheep like the Good Shepherd, and with his heart for those who may have strayed from the flock, he gave us access to an audience that has perhaps long stopped listening to the voice of Peter,” Bolster stated in a news release from the school.

He stated he is honored to “take advantage of the door Pope Francis has opened” for catechists.

Others noted that one of the pope’s final appearances included a meeting with Vice President JD Vance.

“I’m so grateful to God for the grace of this beautiful witness — the last act of a tremendous papacy — Requiescat in pace, Papa Francesco,” Catholic University of America Professor Chad Pecknold wrote in a post on X, along with a photo of the pope and Vance.

Beyond Catholic institutions, faculty from other private universities also weighed in, including Emory University Professor Susan Reynolds.

“His entire pontificate took place in this kind of modern highly globalized highly diverse era within the church and you can see that in his legacy,” Reynolds said in an interview with 11Alive.

She praised the late pope for selecting cardinals from “far-flung” regions worldwide, reflecting his efforts to globalize the church. He also integrated women and lay individuals into the church’s hierarchy and administrative structure, she said.

“He was somebody who was, in many ways, unafraid of the new, the modern, the diverse, and the global,” Reynolds said.

MORE: College Fix founder praises Pope Francis’s legacy

IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: Pope Francis greets a crowd of people; Ashwin Vaswani/Unsplash

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