The Barefoot Pope

A Tribute to a Pope Who Lived Out the Gospel With His Feet on the Ground

He left the palace behind and walked among the people.

I’m not Catholic. Never have been.
Not planning to convert.

But I am a follower of Christ. And when Pope Francis first stepped out on that balcony over St. Peter’s Square, bowed his head, and asked the crowd to bless him, I knew we were seeing something different.

In a world full of gold-plated pulpits, celebrity preachers, and religious leaders who seem more interested in crowns than crosses, here was a man who looked like he’d actually read the Gospels—and more than that, tried to live them.

He shook things up. He rattled the hierarchy. He called out careerism, materialism, and moral detachment. Not from the outside—but from within the highest ranks of the Roman Catholic Church.

This wasn’t a reformer with a megaphone.
This was the Pope, the supreme spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
And for the first time in a long time, it looked like the robes didn’t wear the man. The man wore the robes lightly.

So what follows isn’t a theological treatise or denominational defense. This is a tribute. A thank-you. A plainspoken record of how this Pope lived out the red letters in a black-bound book.

Here’s what it looked like when Pope Francis walked the talk.

1. He Built Showers for the Homeless at the Vatican

Most people ignore the homeless.
Francis built them showers. Right next to St. Peter’s Square.
He followed that up with haircuts, meals, sleeping bags, and free medical checkups. No grand gestures. No headlines. Just quiet human dignity for people the world forgets.

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” – Matthew 25:35

2. He Washed the Feet of Migrants, Muslims, and Prisoners

Instead of carefully selected cardinals with clean toes, Francis went to prisons and refugee shelters to wash the feet of women, Muslims, the incarcerated, and the undocumented.
It was a break from centuries of tradition—but perfectly in line with Jesus’ way.

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” – John 13:14

3. He Chose a Modest Apartment Over a Palace

The Apostolic Palace is exactly what it sounds like.
Francis said no thanks. He opted for a simple guesthouse room where he could eat in the cafeteria like everyone else.
He gave up royal treatment so he could stay grounded and connected to the people he was responsible for. That’s leadership.

“The Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” – Matthew 8:20

4. He Called Out Corrupt Church Leaders—By Name

Most Popes speak in code.
Francis wrote a list.
He publicly rebuked senior Vatican officials for arrogance, vanity, careerism, gossip, and treating the Church like a private club. He invited/instructed the worst offenders to return to the foundation of their faith before it was too late.
It wasn’t subtle. It was necessary.

“Woe to you… you clean the outside of the cup, but inside are full of greed and self-indulgence.” – Matthew 23:25

5. He Embraced the Sick Without Hesitation

A man suffering from neurofibromatosis—his body covered in tumors—stood in St. Peter’s Square.
Francis saw him, embraced him, kissed him.
He didn’t flinch. He didn’t look away. He met disfigurement with love.

“Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.” – Luke 5:13

6. He Asked the People to Bless Him

Before giving his first blessing as Pope, Francis did something no one expected.
He bowed. And he asked the people to pray for him.
That moment flipped the whole hierarchical pyramid.

“Whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” – Luke 14:11

7. He Criticized Unchecked Capitalism

Francis didn’t whisper. He didn’t speak from shadows.
He called out "the idolatry of money" and said unregulated capitalism was “the dung of the devil.”
He didn’t reject the world’s markets—but he demanded they serve the common good, not just the wealthy few.

“You cannot serve both God and money.” – Matthew 6:24

8. He Chose Mercy Over Judgment for LGBTQ+ People

When asked about gay priests, he said: “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”
He didn’t change the doctrine. But he changed the tone, and in the process, he opened the door to grace.

“Neither do I condemn you.” – John 8:11

9. He Defended the Earth and the Poor

His encyclical Laudato Si’ was more than a green manifesto—it was a call to care for “our common home” and to protect those most vulnerable to environmental collapse.
He linked ecology to justice, and made climate care a moral issue.

“Whatever you did for the least of these… you did for me.” – Matthew 25:40

10. He Walked as a Shepherd, Not a Celebrity

He chose humility over headlines.
He carried his own briefcase. Wore simple shoes. Refused gold crosses. Rode in a 2010 Ford Focus.
He lived the Gospel in how he walked, not just what he preached.

“The greatest among you must be your servant.” – Matthew 23:11

11. He Reached Out to Atheists and Doubters

In a widely publicized open letter, Francis addressed nonbelievers as “precious allies” in the search for truth and justice. He didn’t preach at them—he welcomed dialogue.
He met them where they were. Like Jesus did.

“Whoever is not against us is for us.” – Mark 9:40

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12. He Acknowledged the Pain of Abuse Victims—Personally

While the Church’s response to abuse has been painfully slow, Francis made it personal. He met with survivors. He wept with them. He punished bishops who covered things up.
He called it evil, and he called it out.

“If anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble…” – Matthew 18:6

13. He Brokered Peace Between the U.S. and Cuba

Behind the scenes, Francis quietly helped broker the restoration of diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba in 2014.
He wasn’t posturing—he was peacemaking.
And it worked.

“Blessed are the peacemakers.” – Matthew 5:9

14. He Told Bishops to Sell Their Luxury Cars

He told bishops and priests to skip the Mercedes and take the bus. "Don’t be afraid of simplicity," he said. "A car is necessary, but get one that’s not flashy."
He wasn’t joking.

In a world where mega church pastors preach the prosperity gospel while bragging about the number of luxury jets they own, he remembered that Jesus was a poor carpenter.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.” – Matthew 6:19

15. He Showed Up in War Zones and Refugee Camps

From the Central African Republic to Greece, Francis went where most leaders wouldn’t. He visited refugee camps. Toured war-torn streets. Hugged orphans.
No press release, from the throne in the Vatican, could match the power of those visits.

“I was in prison and you came to visit me.” – Matthew 25:36

Just a man, a good man

Pope Francis wasn’t perfect. He had to navigate an institution with a lot of inertia and centuries of baggage. But he did something that is lamentably rare in this day and age: he made faith feel real. Not polished. Not positioned. Real.

He lived simply. He loved deeply. He challenged the powerful and comforted the forgotten.

He reminded us that you don’t need to be a theologian to follow Jesus.
You just need to try.

And by trying, Pope Francis made me—a non-Catholic—feel like the Church might still have something worth listening to.

So here’s to a man who could’ve played the part, but chose to live the message instead.

Thank you, Francis.

You made the Gospel visible, while setting a new standard for the Popes who follow in your worthy footsteps.

~Wayne

(I’m considering writing a small book on the examples that Pope Francis set for all followers of Christ. If I’ve missed something important, that you feel should be included, please mention it in the comments)