News — DURHAM, N.H.—(April 21, 2025)—As the Catholic Church mourns the passing of Pope Francis, the day after the holiest day on the Christian calendar, the Vatican prepares for the funeral of the beloved pontiff and to nominate a new head of the Catholic Church. Michele Dillion, a professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire and an expert in Catholicism, can talk about the legacy of Pope Francis, the changes he brought to the Catholic Church, the traditions and rituals that will take place to choose a new pope and what this all means for the future of the church.
Dillon can be reached directly at [email protected].
“The passing of the Pope Francis will be an important and reflective time in the Catholic Church,” said Dillon. “Francis’s papacy has been highly distinctive and deeply impactful—his humility, respect for people of all means and his casual way of speaking about complex issues have shifted the church’s focus. It will be interesting to see whether the conclave will vote for someone who aligns with Francis’ sensibilities of ensuring an inclusive Catholic Church that is dynamically attuned to the diverse realities of modern day.”
Dillon points out that as the first non-European pope since the eighth century, the 88-year-old pope has made the church more visible while also making the papacy more accessible to Catholics and non-Catholics around the world. It was important to him to simplify his papacy making a series of changes including residing in a modest apartment in the Vatican guest house and not in the traditional Apostolic Palace.
“Francis, who wasn’t without controversy especially among the bishops, has consistently amplified and extended the church’s long-standing emphasis on social justice with its focus on the dignity and well-being of each individual,” said Dillon. “He has shown tremendous openness to the realities of Catholics’ personal lives, particular to the circumstances of LGBTQ and divorced and remarried Catholics.”
The pope’s death sets in motion a series of rituals including a path forward to a conclave to elect his successor. Francis revised and simplified a few rituals last year allowing for burial outside the Vatican but most of the traditional rites remain the same.
The Catholic Church now enters into a nine-day mourning period. The pope's body is blessed, adorned in papal garments and will lie in state in St. Peter's Basilica, allowing the public to pay their respects. The funeral will be held in St. Peter’s Square but breaking from tradition, Franics has asked to be buried in the St. Mary Major Basilica across town, reflecting his great respect for the Virgin Mary. He will be buried between the fourth and sixth day after his death. Then, the centuries-old ritual of electing a new pope will begin when a conclave of cardinals from around the world will gather at the Sistine Chapel to elect Frances’s successor.
“Francis has appointed a large number of diverse cardinals, so it is statistically probable that someone with his openness could be elected,” said Dillon. “But whomever is chosen, once in the role, the new pope will have to consider and balance an array of doctrinal and institutional priorities that may lead to him assume views that may not necessarily align with his views as a cardinal or bishop.”
Dillon has written extensively on Catholicism and has been especially interested in the institutional and cultural processes that enables Catholics who selectively disagree with aspects of Catholic teaching to remain loyal to Catholicism. She also has examined the political engagement of the Catholic Church, and of other churches and activist organizations, in public moral debates in different western countries. She was recently awarded the for contributions to the Catholic intellectual tradition. Some of her books include “Postsecular Catholicism: Relevance and Renewal”, "American Catholics in Transition”, "In the Course of a Lifetime: Tracing Religious Belief, Practice and Change” and "Catholic Identity: Balancing Reason, Faith, and Power”.
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