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«IZVESTIYA IRKUTSKOGO GOSUDARSTVENNOGO UNIVERSITETA». SERIYA «POLITOLOGIYA. RELIGIOVEDENIE»
«THE BULLETIN OF IRKUTSK STATE UNIVERSITY». SERIES «POLITICAL SCIENCE AND RELIGION STUDIES»
ISSN 2073-3380 (Print)

List of issues > Series «Political Science and Religion Studies». 2026. Vol 57

End of an Era: In Memory of Pope Francis

Author(s)

I. M. Tsibizova

Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation

Abstract
This work, in dialogue with Russian and Italian Catholic religious scholars, analyzes the contribution of Pope Francis, a unique figure in many ways, to the development of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). The analysis draws on the pontiff's ideological constants – namely, the theology of the people, the orthodox liberation theology as interpreted by the Jesuits, Romano Guardini's dialectical theory of polar opposites, and Carlo Ranner's Christian anthropology – as well as the complex situation within the Vatican and the RCC as a whole, caused by the unprecedented resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the struggle between progressives and neoconservatives. The following areas of Francis's activity are considered: peacemaking, strengthening ecumenical brotherhood and the development of interreligious dialogue, while rejecting proselytism, which is rejected by many traditional Catholics, attempts to turn the Catholic winter into the spring of Catholicism, the desire to achieve the exit of priests from councils to the people and to develop work with the laity, reliance on popular religiosity, compassionate initiatives, primarily to support and protect the disadvantaged, attempts to develop synodality, which is unusual for the Roman Catholic Church, the policy of canonizations, strengthening the state structures of the Vatican, the introduction of austerity and opening access to a number of Vatican shrines for the laity. Overall, the Bishop of Rome's activities, with all due respect to his pastoral zeal, are assessed as an attempt to integrate the Roman Catholic Church into the modern, globalist, Western-style world. It is demonstrated how many of Francis's reforms are now being reversed.
About the Authors
Tsibizova Irina Mihaylovna, Candidate of Science (History), Research Scientist, Department of Philosophy Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences RAS 51/21, Nakhimovsky ave., Moscow, 117418, Russian Federation e-mail: itsibizova@mail.ru
For citation
Tsibizova I.M. End of an Era: In Memory of Pope Francis. The Bulletin of Irkutsk State University. Series Political Science and Religion Studies, 2026, vol. 57, pp. 87-105. https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3380.2026.57.87 (in Russian)
Keywords
globalization, neoconservatism, liberalism, Pope Leo XIV, Pope Francis, Catholicism, reforms, liberation theology.
UDC
272-732.2:27-1:27-67
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3380.2026.57.87
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