Leaders in the world

Pope Francis
The leader of the Catholic faith, which has more
than 1 billion followers worldwide, has staked
more outspoken, progressive views on public
issues than popes before him. At an address to
the US Congress in September, Pope
Francis called on lawmakers to empathize with
immigrants and refugees and to welcome them
into their country.
To the delight of liberal Catholics, he urged
more action to stop the effects of climate
change and endorsed a more forgiving stance
on divorce and homosexuality. Many American
Catholics predict that within the next 35 years
the church will approve of contraception,
married priests, and recognition of same-sex
marriages, according to a recent Pew survey.
Now in his second year as prime minister of India,
Narendra Modi is introducing initiatives to improve
the lives of the 1.2 billion people who make up the
world’s largest democracy. In May, he announced
plans to reform and modernize the government and
business sectors by implementing a uniform sales
tax and boosting foreign direct investment to India.
Modi, the second-most-followed political leader on
Twitter behind Barack Obama, is also pushing India
to integrate with the digital world. He believes tech
innovation holds the key to lifting India out of
poverty, and he traveled to Silicon Valley in
September seeking advice and help from tech
executives at companies like Google and Facebook.
With 10 years and three terms in office
under her belt, German Chancellor
Angela Merkel is a strong
and indispensable leader in Europe. She
has faced a host of challenges
throughout her tenure and come out on
top: She helped hold the eurozone
together during the financial collapse
and global recession; she has stood up to
Russian President Vladimir Putin in his
aggression toward Ukraine, and,
currently, she's managing
Europe's refugee crisis. At her hand,
Germany stands above the rest of
Europe with a strong economy and low
unemployment rate. Though she's
not universally liked, Merkel has proved
a stabilizing force amid turmoil.