A local church historian on what's next for the Catholic Church

With Pope Francis's passing, and his 12 year pontificate drawing to a close, assessments of his legacy are underway. Conservatives in the Church voiced concern the reform-minded Pope watered down Catholic teaching and threatened the Christian identity of Europe and the U.S. Meanwhile, progressive Catholics applauded Francis's focus on the poor and marginalized, but some say Francis didn't go far enough.  

And there are two church leaders representing both sides of that debate who call the New York region home.  

Christopher Bellitto, a church historian who's currently a professor at Kean University in Union County, New Jersey, talked with WNYC's Sean Carlson more about it.