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 priesthood and 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.
