March marked the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ papacy, which brought a distinct shift in tone compared to those of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, said, “In just one year and through simple words and gestures, Pope Francis has changed the church’s tone with an approach that favors the pastoral over the political.” The pope’s words, “Who am I to judge?” opened the door to a recognition of the dignity of LGBT Catholics. Francis’ instruction that bishops should stop obsessing over contraception, abortion and same-sex marriage rang true with an overwhelming number of the laity.

Nevertheless, issues like contraception still divide the church, and Francis has painted an ambivalent picture of the possibilities for changing Catholic teaching to be more in line with the lives of Catholics. On the one hand, he unfortunately used the word “courage” to describe the decision by Pope Paul VI to override the papal commission that advised changing the Vatican’s position on contraception. But on the other, Pope Francis said that the church must “take into account people’s situations” as part of its pastoral approach on the subject, according to Corriere della Sera.

At the end of his first year, Francis took a step forward on the clergy sexual abuse scandal by appointing a special commission to address the topic. The panel includes four women and five lay people, one of whom is an Irish woman who was sexually abused by a priest. The Wall Street Journal signaled the gender balance on the panel as evidence of the pope’s commitment to moving women into more leadership positions within the church. Francis’ other approach to Catholic women’s needs—creating a separate women’s theology—has been less well-received by many women in the church.

Pope Francis has rejected the attempts to paint him as a kind of Superman. O’Brien contended that Catholics are not looking for one, but they are wondering whether “it’s too much to ask for a super pope, or even a very good one—a pope who could at least help get his brother bishops in order, reform teaching that is obviously not working and put an end to hypocrisy.”