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Pope Francis marked ten years as pope earlier this week (March 13). During the last decade he has made a huge impact on the Church, leading his flock with a pastoral zeal that has been felt across the globe.

Pope Francis’ election - which was a surprise to many Vatican commentators - was an election of many firsts; he is the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from South America and the Global South, and the first to take the name of Francis.

The Pope has spoken at great length about the importance of mission, the plight of Refugees and Asylum seekers, and the impact of the Climate Crisis during his papacy. His 2013 apostolic exhortation 'The Joy of the Gospel' saw him invite the Church “to embark on a new chapter of evangelism”, to become a community of disciples “permanently in a state of mission”.

Highlighting our shared responsibility to those who are displaced he used the first pastoral visit of his papacy, to Lampedusa off the coast of Sicily, to highlight “global indifference” to the refugee crisis.

Focussing on care for our common home, his second encyclical 'Laudato Si' added protection of the environment to Catholic Social Teaching, highlighting the significant effects of climate change on the poor, and drawing on Church tradition and Scripture to argue that protection of the environment should be a key tenet of Catholic mission.

Discussing the important milestone earlier this week, Pope Francis reflected on one of the highlights of his decade as pope: "The most beautiful moment" he said, was a meeting held on 28 September 2014 in St Peter's Square with the elderly, during an audience with grandparents from all over the world. When asked about his wishes for the future he said “Peace, we need peace”.

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‍Sources: CBCEW & Vatican News