How Jesuit values shaped Pope Francis — and resonated in St. Louis

Pope Francis, who died Monday at the age of 88, was a trailblazer in many ways. He was the first Latin-American pontiff and the first non-European to lead the Roman Catholic Church in more than 1,000 years. He was also the first Jesuit ever elected pope, a detail that’s often overlooked. That Jesuit background is especially relevant in St. Louis, a city with deep religious and cultural ties to the Catholic Church. The Rev. Thomas Flowers, an assistant professor of Ignatian formation at St. Louis University, discusses how Jesuit traditions influenced Francis’ papacy.