( CNN ) -- Last Sunday , a group of us sat on the beach , watching the children play , when the talk turned , as it often does , to Pope Francis . `` The Pope said the loveliest thing yesterday . My father in Porto Alegre called me to tell me about it , '' my Brazilian friend Bete told us . My Swiss friend Diego chimed in with another charming anecdote , and everyone remarked how warm and affectionate Francis is . I was pleased to hear all the comments , but not surprised , since it 's been like that all year . Everyone is talking about him , all the time . In this first year of his papacy , Francis has stirred up hearts and minds , not only among his flock , but also among a wider culture that is generally inhospitable , if not downright antagonistic , to the teachings of the Church of Rome . He has sparked admiration and consternation , and most of all , he has inspired wide-flung interest and debate . It seems the voice of the vicar of Rome , even in this secularist age , has tremendous carrying power . People who long ago dismissed the church as a hidebound , irrelevant institution seem to be irresistibly drawn to the captivating Francis . I was stunned , recently , to have a very liberal acquaintance of mine , who happens to be Jewish , tell me we finally have a progressive pope . A priest reflects on Francis ' first year . He used the word `` we . '' To my acquaintance , `` progressive '' is high praise , as it describes a belief in the growing wisdom of mankind and the inevitable improvement of our culture , resulting in welcome human flourishing . It was clear to him that both he and Francis share the same desire , to see all people living more joyful , fulfilling lives . My friend 's comment illustrated the peculiar power of Francis : that of presenting the central message of the church -- that God loves every man and woman passionately and desires their good -- in ways that those quite outside the influence of the church can recognize and warm to . Pope Francis has been at pains to explain what he is about , which he characterizes as a new chapter of evangelization for the church . His task is to find ways , and help the rest of the church find ways , to transmit the joy which so obviously fills him and sustains him . He calls it the joy of the gospel , which perhaps might be explained as the joy of knowing that we are truly loved , although all of us are completely undeserving of that kind of sacrificial devotion . He is the first one to declare himself a sinner , and undeserving , with an utterly disarming humility . He writes , in Evangelii Gaudium , `` I dream of ... a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything , so that the Church 's customs ... can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today 's world rather than for her self-preservation . '' This is quite a statement . It seems he understands that too many Catholics today find themselves with a bunker mentality , hoping to `` get by '' without calling too much attention to themselves . They feel beleaguered by those who no longer have the philosophical and religious education that would enable them to understand social doctrine , especially sexual , as anything other than stuffy nonsense that has outlived its usefulness . The church has found itself , understandably , in a defensive posture . It has been greatly exacerbated recently by a new tendency in modern culture to decry an adherence to age-old , universal attitudes toward marriage and sexuality as intolerance and bigotry . But that defensive posture , Francis seems to say , is not courageous and outward-looking , and not worthy of those who have been charged with the sacred mission of spreading the good news . Of course , there are many who hope that he will repudiate some of those social teachings , and thereby change the character of the church itself . Again and again he is asked why he does n't emphasize those difficult matters , like abortion and marriage . He did n't mention them in Brazil , during World Youth Day . He explained then : `` The Church has already expressed herself perfectly on this . ... It was n't necessary to talk about that , but about the positive things that open the way to youngsters . '' When pressed for his personal position , he answered with direct and perfect simplicity : `` That of the Church . I am a Child of the Church ! '' Francis wants Catholics , bravely , out of their bunkers . He is telling them that there is tremendous power in the knowledge that believers carry within them . The joy of the gospel , as Francis sees it , is capable of setting us free from sorrow , loneliness and inner emptiness . Are n't those exactly the torments that plague modern people , satiated with material goods like never before but atomized and radically alone ? It would be criminal for Catholics to hide it away because they are fearful of criticism or just lazy and unmotivated . The Pope tells us to put joy into action , in service to the poor , love of the sick , going out to meet our brothers and sisters at the crossroads and bringing them home . He personally and infectiously shows us exactly how it 's done . Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie .
Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie says everyone is talking about Pope Francis , all the time . He has stirred hearts and minds of Catholics and non-Catholics , she says . People are saying that `` we '' finally have a progressive pope . We can look forward to more from him in the future. "