Francis, the rebel Pope

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 22 April 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Following the death of Pope Francis, Edward Stourton looks at the life and legacy of the spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics worldwide. He was elected at a time of crisis for his Church, but quickly transformed its reputation. He urged Christians to be less judgemental and more welcoming of gay and divorced people. And as the first Pope of Latin American identity and from the southern hemisphere, he put the poor at the heart of the Church’s mission, speaking up for migrants and refugees and those worst hit by the impact of climate change. Edward Stourton speaks to people inside and outside the Catholic Church, including those who worked closely with him.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Edward Sturton and for the BBC World Service, I'm exploring the life and legacy of Pope Francis.
0:09.0	Rome, 2013, on the evening of the 13th of March.
0:14.0	I'd always remember of being in Sir Peter Square, hoping that he would be elected.
0:19.2	We all waited for the white smoke
0:20.9	that would show the papal election was over.
0:24.5	Well, for a moment or two,
0:26.0	the smoke looked as if it was black,
0:27.7	but there's no question about it.
0:29.3	It's white, I can see it rising up,
0:31.4	and the great bell of St. Peter's has confirmed the fact
0:34.6	that we now have a poet.
0:43.5	Announce your hope is. has confirmed the fact that we now have a pope. We have a pope. Anuncio Robich, Calum, magnu.
0:45.1	Abbe Muspapa.
0:52.4	We have a Pope, but that traditional Latin announcement from the balcony of St. Peter's was followed by a name
0:55.7	that was recognised by very few people among the thousands gathered in the square below.
1:00.8	I've been praying a lot for this Pope, whoever he would be, so...
1:03.9	Do you know anything about him?
1:05.5	No. I've got to do some research. Maybe J.P.
1:08.2	How about you? Do you know about him at all? No.
1:12.1	I don't know much about him at all.
1:16.4	It was immediately apparent that this Pope would be different.
1:20.5	Frateri and Sorelle, Bonacera.
	...

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