Pope Francis passed away in the Vatican City at the age of 88 on Monday after battling illness for some time. Elected the 266th Pope in 2013, Pope Francis was globally recognised as a reformist and the head of the Catholic Church and Vatican City.

His tenure will be remembered for his efforts to humanise the church, reach out to the poor and the needy, and implement significant reforms. Despite his numerous accomplishments, five key goals remained unfulfilled.

Pope Francis’s papacy was marked by humility, commitment to social justice, and ambitious reforms, as detailed in his 2024 autobiography “Hope" and several interviews. However, constraints such as his health, time limitations, and the intricate structure of the Catholic Church hindered the completion of these critical tasks.

1. Elevating Women’s Role In The Church: Pope Francis consistently advocated for a larger role for women within the church. He expressed a desire for women to be appointed as deacons, a position traditionally held by men.

Although he established two commissions in 2016 and 2020 to discuss and provide recommendations on this issue, opposition from the church’s conservative factions and the complexity of building global consensus prevented this goal from being realised.

While he made strides in allowing women to serve at the altar and vote, the aspiration of appointing women to high positions like deacon remained unfulfilled.

2. Reforming The Vatican’s Court Culture: The administration of the Vatican, known as the Curia, has long been plagued by nepotism, abuse of power, and bureaucratic inefficiencies. Pope Francis described this culture as “evil" and initiated significant steps towards reform.

In 2013, he formed an advisory group, C9, and in 2022, he released the “Praedicate Evangelium" document aimed at making the Curia more transparent and accountable. Despite these efforts, entrenched conservative groups and administrative challenges limited the impact of his reforms, leaving this goal incomplete at the time of his death.

3. Advocating for Global Peace: Pope Francis was a vocal advocate for world peace, condemning war as “stupidity" and a “crime against humanity." He actively spoke out against conflicts such as the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Palestine conflict, offering mediation and appealing for peace. However, the geopolitical complexities and interests of various nations made it impossible for him to achieve his dream of a world free of war.

4. Addressing the Church’s Sexual Abuse Scandal: The issue of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church has been a significant crisis. Pope Francis showed deep empathy for the victims, calling a global summit in 2019 and implementing new laws to address the issue.

Nevertheless, resistance from local bishops in some countries hindered the implementation of these reforms, and the crisis remained unresolved. Pope Francis acknowledged that more time was needed to address this issue fully, and his death left this challenge ongoing for the church.

5. Electing A Pope from Asia or Africa: Pope Francis aimed to make the church more inclusive by paving the way for a Pope from regions like Asia or Africa, where the Catholic population is growing rapidly. Although he appointed many African and Asian bishops as cardinals, the European influence in the papal election process remained dominant. The goal of electing a non-European Pope in the future remains a challenge.

Pope Francis’s legacy is marked by his efforts towards reform and his unfulfilled aspirations, leaving significant challenges for his successors to address.