For the last over 120 years, the men who wore the robes of papacy did not just lead the Catholic Church, they steered the world’s oldest Christian body through some of the most turbulent waters in modern history.
Often seen as a bastion of tradition, the papacy might conjure images of timeless rituals and ancient walls, untouched by chaos of the world outside but in reality, being Pope in the modern age meant to constantly confront the world’s upheavals head-on guiding over a 1 billion faithful while responding to a whirlwind of global change.
From the ravages of pestilences, two World Wars to the slow unraveling of colonial empires, though to the Cold War’s iron grip to the cultural revolutions of the 60s and 70s, each pope has been a reflection of his time. Some standing firm in theological conservatism. Others turned boldly toward social justice, all leaving a mark.
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By Manuel Ntoyai