Pope Francis: the saint who broke many rules
He tweeted, hugged, and shook things up
Joseph Merrick was born with a very large skull. His chin stuck out to the side, pulling his mouth down. Half of his face was covered in thick, bumpy skin. To many, he looked like a "monster."
This was London in the 1860s. Life was hard for him. People on the street bullied him. Worse, a freak show took advantage of him, putting him on display like a circus act.
But then, he had a stroke of luck, when a kind doctor named Dr. Frederick Treves saved him. Merrick spent the rest of his life in a hospital, where he had clean clothes, good food, and a safe home. In exchange, the doctors had an opportunity to study his ‘illness’. He later died peacefully in his sleep.
Merrick’s life - his unusual looks, his struggles and his personality had fascinated many writers. More than a 100 years later, a writer published a famous play titled ‘The Elephant Man’ which became a huge hit in London’s theatres. One of the saddest and sweetest scenes in this play was:
Dr. Treves takes Merrick to meet his family. There, Merrick talks politely with Mrs. Treves, showing how much he longed for kindness and friendship.
Mrs. Treves: I’m very pleased to meet you, Mr. Merrick.
Merrick: I’m very pleased . . .
[he begins to cry]
Dr. Frederick Treves: What’s the matter?
Merrick: It’s just that I-I’m not used to being treated so well by such nice people .
Sometime later, Merrick is shown pictures of the Treves family. In return Merrick asks,
Merrick: Would you care to see my mother?
Dr. Frederick Treves: [surprised] Your mother? Yes, please.
[Merrick pulls out a small portrait]
Mrs. Treves: Oh but she’s . . . Mr. Merrick, she’s beautiful!
Merrick: Oh, she had the face of an angel! [sadly] I must have been a great disappointment to her.
Mrs. Treves: No, Mr. Merrick, no. No son as loving as you could ever be a disappointment.
Merrick: If only I could find her, so she could see me with such lovely friends here now, perhaps she could love me as I am. I’ve tried so hard to be good.
[Mrs. Treves begins to cry]
Nearly two hundred years later, not much has changed. People born with extraordinary physical differences, continue to face rejection from society. Equally true today - there are a few sensible souls like Dr Treves and his wife who treat them with the kindness they deserve.
The year was 2013: One Wednesday, after delivering a lecture in Vatican City, Pope Francis walked toward the crowd that had gathered to meet him. Among the sea of faces stood Vinicio Riva, a 48-year-old man with a severely disfigured face and open sores covering his neck. When the Pope approached the crowd, he went straight to Vinicio first.
"When the Pope came near," Riva later recalled, "he hugged me tightly. My head rested against his chest, and his arms held me close. I tried to speak—but no words came." In that moment, every sorrow seemed to vanish.
"The Pope didn’t hesitate," Riva said. "He didn’t wonder if I was contagious. He just hugged me—exactly as I was."
Pope Francis passed away this week. This week’s Lighter Side is about him. This isn’t a feel-good piece about a great religious figure. This is about a man who took bold calls - whether it was about climate change or about remedying mistakes done in the past or about telling political leaders to create laws that make for a better society.
Pope Francis wasn’t just any Pope. He was different. Francis meant what he said—and backed it up with action. Think of it like cricket—tons of players retire, but legends like Kohli and Rohit get the spotlight because they earned it. Pope Francis? Same energy. He wasn’t just a religious figure; he was a masterclass in being human.
The year was 2013. A new Pope had to be appointed as the previous Pope had retired. The Vatican looked at its centuries-old tradition of "Europeans Only" and thought, "You know what? Let’s spice things up." Enter Jorge Mario Bergoglio—a priest from Argentina. The Catholic Church finally discovered that continents beyond Europe exist. (Fun fact: To this day, there has never been a Pope from North America, Africa, Asia or Australia. Coincidence? Or just really bad geography?)
When people get elected to become Popes, they take a new name - most go for classic choices from names of saints. Bergoglio took the name of Francis (St. Francis of Assisi, known as the patron saint of ecologists and champion of the poor). From day one, it was clear: This papacy wasn’t going to be the usual "bless you, be kind" show. Pope Francis was here to confuse the rich, charm the poor, and make amends for mistakes made earlier. The Vatican had picked a Pope who remembered that Jesus hung out with lepers and outcasts.
His Papacy began with a bang
Sure, Pope Francis talked about God, but he didn’t just give boring, long speeches. While most people expected him to hang out with presidents and billionaires, he surprised everyone by focusing on something way more important: the Earth.
He told churches and Catholic organizations to stop supporting oil and coal companies and instead invest in clean energy like solar and wind power. He even went to big international meetings to warn everyone: “The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth,” (Yes, he actually said that.) “In many parts of the planet, the elderly lament that once beautiful landscapes are now covered with rubbish.”
But here’s the real kicker: He called out the rich people and big companies who cause most of the pollution but don’t suffer the consequences. Meanwhile, poor people—who do almost nothing to cause climate change—are the ones suffering the most from storms, droughts, and rising seas. He wrote extensively about the greed and selfishness of the wealthy who consume the most, and harm the planet the most.
He openly supported the plight of refugees.
Pope Francis spoke to world leaders about the need to be more sympathetic towards migrant refugees who flee war zones and poverty. He even politely reminded some of the rich countries about the wars they had started.
When a journalist walked into Pope Francis’ room, one thing stopped him in his tracks—a huge, two-meter-tall crucifix on the wall. But here’s the twist: It wasn’t Jesus on the cross. At first glance, it looked like a normal religious artwork. But then—wait a second—the cross was made of clear resin, and where Christ’s body should have been, there was just… an orange life jacket.
This wasn’t just decoration. It was a silent scream about the refugee crisis. That life jacket could have belonged to an African migrant—someone rescued from the sea… or maybe someone who didn’t make it.
Hanging right at the entrance to the Pope’s room, the message was clear: "These people are today’s crucified." The Pope appealed to many European and American leaders to modify laws that would be more sympathetic to the cause of refugees who flee war zones or extreme poverty. Many listened to his words, and some like Trump did not particularly get along with him.
He apologised for mistakes committed by the Church centuries ago.
A long time ago, Canada had special boarding schools called residential schools – but they were nothing like Hogwarts. Native tribes living in Canada, also called indigenous tribes, were overpowered by the white settlers from Europe. Indigenous kids were forcibly taken from their families because the government believed their parents couldn't "civilize" them. Most of these schools were run by the Catholic Church, and what happened there was worse than your worst nightmare.
Think of the cruelest teacher you've seen in movies (looking at you, Miss Trunchbull from Matilda). Now multiply that cruelty by 1,000 – that's how awful these schools were. Kids were starved and forbidden from speaking their languages or practicing their cultures.
The residential school system was slowly phased out, after decades of protests by the indigenous tribes. Slowly, investigations began to show the true extent of cruelty. Yet, the closure of the schools was not the end of the harm—survivors and Indigenous communities continue to suffer from generations of trauma.
The Catholic Church that had run many of these schools remained mum for the most part. No Pope ever apologized. Then in 2021, a lot more evidence about the abuses surfaced. It shocked Canada and reopened old wounds for Indigenous communities. Anger grew against the Catholic Church.
Finally, in 2022, when Pope Francis traveled to Canada, he did what no Pope before him had done: He apologized. On July 25, he declared,
“I am sorry. I ask forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the church and of religious communities co-operated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of that time, which culminated in the system of residential schools.”
His words were a big first step – they don’t undo the damages caused. But by admitting the Church’s terrible mistakes, it helps the Indigenous people heal better and faster. Because saying "I’m sorry" matters.
Pope Francis wrote an autobiography titled ‘Hope’. In it, he writes - “I have made many mistakes”. He does not say what they are. But it is evident that he feels guilty about some of them, if not all.
The guy who leads 1.3 billion Catholics isn’t some perfect saint floating above the rest of us. He’s human—just like you, your math teacher, or that cousin who still can’t park his car properly.
What next?
Here’s how the Vatican picks a new Pope—and trust me, it’s way more dramatic than your school’s student council elections.
133 cardinals (fancy church leaders in red hats) go inside the Sistine Chapel.
Each cardinal writes a name on a ballot. To win, a candidate needs more than two-thirds of the votes. If no one gets enough? They burn the ballots—and black smoke puffs out of the chimney. Typically, the large crowd eagerly waiting to find out who the next Pope is, usually groans on seeing the black smoke.
Repeat Until White Smoke: They vote over and over until someone finally gets enough votes. When it happens? White smoke! Thousands of people cheer, bells ring, and the new Pope steps out on the balcony like a holy VIP.
Fun Fact: The cardinals literally can’t leave the Sistine Chapel until they pick someone. So if they’re taking too long… maybe they start voting for the guy who brought snacks. The conclave is set to begin on May 7.
Podcasts to listen to
What foods help children gain height? How much junk food is okay for kids to eat? This podcast is a Q&A with food technologist Sarika Singh, Nayra (5th grader) and Shambhavi (9th grader).
Recommended Reads
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