Francis did a lot of the heavy lifting, clearing the way. He gutted the completely corrupt management of the Vatican bank, which was amici intimi with la Cosa

Francis did a lot of the heavy lifting, clearing the way. He gutted the completely corrupt management of the Vatican bank, which was amici intimi with la Cosa Nostra. That alone was a major milestone of his legacy, that no one talks about anymore. He opened the door to talking about women as near-equals in the Church, and homosexuals as valuable parts of the congregation worthy of respect. Sure, going farther would have been better, but I'm not sure it was really possible. He may not have turned the RC Church around, but at least he untied the steering wheel from its anciently lashed position. THIS pope starts with a blemish on his public record about handling pedo priests; HOPEFULLY that will spur him to being more proactive than even Francis was. [I'm an atheist former Catholic.]