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What is the Legacy of Pope Francis — and the Future of the Catholic Church

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This article was originally posted on Northeastern Global News by Cynthia McCormick Hibbert.

Pope Francis broke with papal tradition by becoming the first pope from a Latin American country, approving the blessing of same-sex unions and appointing the first woman to lead a Vatican department. He also held to Catholic orthodoxy by upholding the male priesthoodand opposition to abortion. Pope Francis’ death at age 88 Monday morning unleashed a wave of mourning around the world as well as questions about the direction in which a new pope will lead the Catholic Church and its nearly 1.4 billion followers.

Northeastern Global News asked Sarah Riccardi-Swartz, Northeastern assistant professor of religion and anthropology, about the legacy of Pope Francis — and what comes next.

Read more on Northeastern Global News.

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