Pope Francis has departed this earthly life, leaving behind a legacy of uniting signs and wonders with peace and justice! He was both the most charismatic and activist pope the Catholic Church has had in hundreds of years.

In truth, this shouldn’t be an unusual combination – Jesus Himself united pacifism and economic equality with healing the sick and performing miracles. But in our time, there is often a dividing line between Christians passionate about peace and justice and those who emphasize the gifts of the Spirit. For Francis, however, all of this was one and the same.

Few have missed that Francis is a passionate advocate for peace and justice: he has criticized capitalism for neglecting the poor, he lives simply and promotes economic equality, he has prayed for peace in the Middle East both at the Western wall and at the West Bank wall. But what not as many know is that Francis also is a charismatic pope, who believes in Spiritual gifts and who blesses both the Catholic charismatic renewal and Pentecostals.

I have previously written about how Francis stated in an interview that the charismatic movement is necessary for the church. In 2014, pope Francis attended a Catholic charismatic renewal convention in Rome, where he said:

I expect from you that you share with all, in the Church, the grace of Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

I expect from you an evangelization with the Word of God which proclaims that Jesus is alive and loves all men.

I expect that you give witness of spiritual ecumenism with all those brothers and sisters of other Churches and Christian communities who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

[…]

Be close to the poor, the needy, to touch in their flesh the flesh of Jesus. Be close, please!

Later the same year, Francis visited a Pentecostal church, being the first pope ever to do that. He asked for forgiveness for the hostility that some Catholics has shown to Pentecostals:

“Among those who persecuted and denounced Pentecostals, almost as if they were crazy people trying to ruin the race, there were also Catholics. I am the pastor of Catholics, and I ask your forgiveness for those Catholic brothers and sisters who didn’t know and were tempted by the devil.”

 “Someone will be surprised: ‘The pope went to visit the evangelicals?’ But he went to see his brothers.”

Similarly to the saint from which he took his name, Francis of Assisi, pope Francis loved the poor and experienced amazing miracles. Even if there are many things I don’t agree with when it comes to Catholic theology, I truly rejoice when I see how pope Francis walks in the same tradition, following Jesus both when it comes to Spiritual baptism and social justice.

Micael Grenholm is a Swedish church historian, author and an editor for PCPJ.

Pentecostals & Charismatics for Peace & Justice is a multicultural, gender inclusive, and ecumenical organization that promotes peace, justice, and reconciliation work among Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians around the world. If you like what we do, please become a member!