theologian

As the church’s 266th leader, he was revered by many Catholics and theologians for his commitment to social justice and focus on church ministry to migrants, poor and oppressed people.

The most important thing, he told the BBC, was for the Pope to be "the chief theologian of the Church".

Nevertheless, as pope, Francis rehabilitated and reconciled with several liberation theologians once exiled by his predecessors and seemed to share the goal of orienting the church more towards serving the oppressed.

Fiennes was raised Catholic, born into a family where his great-uncle and uncle were both theologians.

That came after reading a 1949 Time magazine article about Albert Schweitzer, the legendary physician, humanitarian and theologian of that era.