![](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/1-pope-frances-hope-autobiography-catholic-vatican-GettyImages-2170483050-1.jpg?w=1000)
A Hopeful Pope Francis Won’t Be Silenced
Medieval pontiffs spoke with the self-assuredness of leaders who claimed authority over kings and emperors and expected them to obey. By the first half of the 20th century, however, the pope’s clout had shrunk dramatically. While Benedict XV had spoken out …