In this episode of “The Opinions,” the Opinion columnist David French speaks with the writers and Catholics David Gibson and Leah Libresco Sargeant about the legacy of Pope Francis’ leadership in an age of sharp social division.
After Pope Francis: A Round Table With David French
Three religious thinkers on the state of Catholicism.
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The transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
David French: I’m David French. I’m an Opinion columnist at The Times, where I write about law, politics and religion. I’m not Catholic, but I’ve always admired Pope Francis. He was empathetic. He was compassionate. He cared for the most marginalized and vulnerable members of society.
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But I also knew that he’d become a bit of a lightning rod within the church, both because of his own statements and decisions, and because he was pope during a particularly divisive time in world history. And, of course, the church itself struggled with its own sharp divides over everything from gay rights to women’s rights to the traditional Latin Mass.
Pope Francis came into office promising to make a mess and to shake things up. So, to talk about how that played out in a fractured world, I’m here today with David Gibson and Leah Libresco Sargeant. David is the director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, and he once covered the Vatican as a journalist. Leah is a writer and author of the upcoming book “Dignity of Dependence.”
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