For years, Pope Francis has spoken out against the injustices of capitalism, denouncing neoliberalism as a scourge on humanity. This stance sets him apart from his predecessors, who came from the firmly conservative Vatican establishment and fiercely opposed such critiques.
He has also positioned himself as an anti-war pope, having criticized Israel and NATO for years. He even labeled Israel’s actions in Gaza as “terrorism” and condemned NATO, saying it provoked the Russia-Ukraine war.
However, he has also attempted to hide his history of collaboration with the fascist military dictatorships in Argentina in the 70s. He was the head of the Jesuit mission in the country at the time, he never spoke out against the regime, and in one famous case, worked with them to persecute leftist priests.
Orlando Yorio and Francisco Jalics were Jesuits, working under Francis, and were known as “slum priests” for their work helping the poor in the south of Buenos Aires in the 70s. In 1976, they were arrested and tortured by the dictatorship for being “subversives.” Francis withdrew official Jesuit protection from the two, which allowed the military to detain them.
As Pope, he also maintained many reactionary stances in line with the rest of the Church establishment. He never shifted any of the discriminatory policies against the LGBT community, nor in favor of a woman’s right to choose. In fact, he often criticised “gender ideology,” a far-right talking point.
Despite speaking out against inequality and war, Pope Francis never reformed the Church’s conservative power structures. Its elite interests remain intact — from ties to governments and power, to a vast investment arm embedded in global capitalism.
