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Among many Catholics, the Pope is a figure whose significance is invaluable. In the modern day, this role may appear just as a figurehead, but still carries substantial spiritual and moral influence on many believers.    

Raphael, Portrait of Pope Julius II, 1511, oil on panel. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

When discussing the arts, the church is impossible not to mention. The two are often deeply connected throughout history, even as times change. Many of the masters of the past were commissioned by the church not only to illustrate biblical stories, but also to be presented as gifts. Raphael’s contribution to the genre of papal portraiture was titled Pope Julius II, depicting the pope in a realistic, seated manner. This was atypical for the time period, because of how honest the depiction was. It is not uncommon that embellishments are made, but in this instance the figure was extremely accurate to reality. This style was echoed by painter Diego Velázquez (a century later) with his piece Portrait of Innocent X. Similarly, the pope is seated, draped in red, with an honest and realistic complexion. In both paintings, their ages are conveyed, implying wisdom and a candid nature.

Jean Paul Laurens, Cadaver Synod, 1870, oil on canvas. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

It can be easy to assume that most paintings depicting popes are very much the same, admiring regalty and the wisdom of age and theologian knowledge. Cadaver Synod, by French artist Jean Paul Laurens, was vastly different from what many papal art pieces looked like. This painting depicts the posthumous trial of Pope Formosus, in Italy during the year 897. The trial was held by Pope Stephen VI in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, condemning him for ascending to the role of the pope illegally. The painting resurfaces a controversy from the Church’s glory days in Rome, but also reminded the public centuries later of the Church’s misdeeds. The macabre nature of the painting is certainly eye-catching, and thus promoted Laurens’ anti-clerical beliefs, and concerns about powerful and oppressive forces of the time.

A century later, Francis Bacon also expressed his criticisms of the church through painting. Bacon was alive through most of the 20th century, witnessing both disaster and discovery. His paintings break boundaries and reflect the conversation surrounding religion at the time. Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X takes the composition of Velázquez and distorts reality into a gothic horror. The pope is smeared across the canvas, mouth a gaping cave, stuck in a scream. The colors appear inverted, brown shifting to black, and red to purple. The chair is just a frame of yellow streaks.

Francis Bacon, Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X, 1953, oil on canvas. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The symbolism of this piece is fairly bleak. In a postwar society, it makes sense that Bacon was influenced by existential nihilism as both an atheist and queer individual. The church simply did not make room for his version of the human experience. This painting places religious authority in the hot seat, challenging their power, and opens a conversation to its viewers. He asks: If all these terrible things can happen to good people, how could there possibly be a God? How can we excuse corruption? The Nietzschean phrase “God is Dead” is representative of this feeling; Especially as times change – as we progress deeper into science and technology – faith appears to be an afterthought.

Despite there being believers, the surrounding chaos of modern life has taken a toll on faith. According to a research study performed by Pew Research Center, three-in-ten U.S adults claim not to be affiliated with any religion. This decline in religiosity, however, is not new. Waves of secularism coincide with en-masse technological advancements and industrial revolutions: from the coal factories of the 19th century to the nuclear age, to now the postmodern expansion of artificial intelligence; all this change and uncertainty can easily make anyone doubtful.

Pope Francis died April 21, 2025.To many, this was a somber event that took to the headlines the moment it happened. However, the work he did in life is just as relevant today. He recognized all the uncertainty, fear, and pessimism, and spoke in favor of peace and hope. Pope Francis’s life encompassed several generations, and he carried many progressive sentiments that was inspiring to the youth, bridging the gap between the old and the young. The climate of current events has led to pessimism, but the Pope remained a positive force for many people. He stood against many injustices and valued the Earth and all its people. He understood the mechanisms of the world and was in tune with the sentiments of the world.

Fabian Perez, Pope Francis, 2015, acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of fabianperez.com

Pope Francis is quoted saying:

Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt. Often, we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness...

Amidst the chaos of the modern world, many are critical of the institutions of society, just like the thinkers of paintings of the past, referenced earlier. Despite these realities, Pope Francis brought light to many. His words can be removed from religion, and were simply responding to a changing society, where faith is not the same it once was.

His awareness of this issue is reinforced by these words:

Openness to God makes us open towards the marginalized of this world and gives us the courage to leave the confines of our own security and comfort to become bruised, hurting and dirty as we joyfully approach the suffering other in a spirit of solidarity.

His loss is not only historic, but a tragic loss of light. He was changing the conversation in the Church, encouraging unconditional love of your neighbors – despite differences – and encouraged building bridges, rather than building walls. Candidates taking the pope’s place will have large shoes to fill. The selection process is arduous, including a series of meetings at the Vatican, and an upcoming conclave. Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote.

There are many new faces amidst the candidacy, from all over the world. These include: the Hungarian archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and the primate of Hungary Peter Erdo, the Dutch cardinal Wim Eijk, Mario Grech from Gozo Island, the Vatican’s secretary of state under Pope Francis Pietro Parolin and Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. All these men have varying interpretations of scripture and beliefs, but no matter the outcome, will hopefully take inspiration from the former Pope’s uplifting presence.

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