RIP Pope Francis. He was not one of my favourite popes - this label would go to John Paul II and Benedict XVI. This was because, despite his great concern for the poor and the marginalized, Francis failed to sufficiently appreciate how much capitalism, markets and trade alleviate poverty and help minorities and women. He was probably influenced too much by "liberation theology", which is based on a faulty understanding of economics. This was unfortunate, because his last two predecessors moved the church closer to a modern understanding of economics and markets. On that, unlike in some other areas, Francis represented a setback. Hopefully the new pope will be someone who understands what contributes to both material and non-material progress in the world. I am an agnostic but I think the Catholic Church is an institution we need in the world and we gain if the church becomes better. This would probably involve not just friendlier attitudes toward markets, but also more flexible attitudes on e.g. contraception. On the other hand, many Catholics rightly yearn for tradition. I would point to the fight to save the latin mass. Perhaps a combination of a reforming and a conserving attitude would be the way forward, as is the case in many other organizations. On that the new pope might look to the example of John Paul II., who was mostly a conservative, and yet changed the church's attitudes toward evolutionary science, the modern capitalist economy, Jews, women, and so on for the better. Fingers crossed!