--- title: House of Cards Returns: What Pope Francis Can Teach Francis Underwood description: The 'House of Cards' character could learn a lot from the most successful politician in the world. canonical: https://time.com/3726450/house-of-cards-francis-underwood-pope-francis/ author: Christopher Hale article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-27T19:44:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:59:49.090Z article:section: Ideas og:title: What Pope Francis Could Teach Francis Underwood og:description: The 'House of Cards' character could learn a lot from the most successful politician in the world. og:url: https://time.com/3726450/house-of-cards-francis-underwood-pope-francis/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt09eca0251b0da1ef/69878176e53abacb744d7d0f/house-of-cards2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood in Season 3 of House of Cards og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What Pope Francis Could Teach Francis Underwood twitter:description: The 'House of Cards' character could learn a lot from the most successful politician in the world. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt09eca0251b0da1ef/69878176e53abacb744d7d0f/house-of-cards2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What Pope Francis Could Teach Francis Underwood > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=d47bd1a6-2cae-4b29-bcd8-819f5f458df7&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: House of Cards - Season 3 - White House Portrait [Watch (HLS stream): House of Cards - Season 3 - White House Portrait](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/C4Us0IxF.m3u8) (0:31)  _Published 2015-02-15. House of Cards - Season 3 - White House Portrait_ by [Christopher Hale](https://time.com/author/christopher-j-hale-2/) ## Christopher Hale Feb 27, 2015 7:44 PM UTC  Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood in Season 3 of House of Cards Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood in Season 3 of House of Cards David Giesbrecht—Netflix by [Christopher Hale](https://time.com/author/christopher-j-hale-2/) ## Christopher Hale Feb 27, 2015 7:44 PM UTC As the third season of _House of Cards_ premieres today, many of us will begin our weekends by binging on the popular Netflix series. But before we do, it would be worth taking a moment to explore the hidden religious motif that underlies the entire series. The title itself is revelatory—Francis and Claire Underwood have built their entire lives on a “house of cards.” Francis’s ascent to the White House is achieved through political gamesmanship, lies, corruption, and even murder. Nearly a millennium earlier, there was another Francis who was charged with building a house for himself and his people. The 13th-century saint was praying in an old church in the Italian village of Assisi [when he heard God calling to him](http://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/papa-pancho-re-build-my-church), “Francis, rebuild my church.” Saint Francis of Assisi, along with his companion Clare, then set out on a journey to rebuild a broken Church and a society that had grown corrupt and lost the original inspiration of the founder of the faith and the Gospel he preached. Because they built their house on the timeless resources of truth, beauty, and goodness, Saint Francis and Clare of Assisi’s house still stands eight centuries later. Today, the [universal leader of the Church](http://time.com/70826/pope-francis-2014-time-100/) they rebuilt even shares their charisma and their namesake. But Francis and Claire Underwood’s house is sure to crumble. As [Jesus reminds us](http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/7:26), only a “fool” builds his home with such weak resources. If only Underwood would consider the wisdom of the other Francis across the pond. Unlike many, Frank doesn’t worship money. But he does think that money—even dirty money is [the best way to advance his political fortunes](http://www.hypable.com/house-of-cards-best-quotes/#12): “When the money’s coming your way, you don’t ask any questions.” Pope Francis thinks this is a dangerous proposition. He’s [asked world leaders](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/pope-francis-tells-davos-business-leaders-ensure-humanity-is-served-by-wealth-not-ruled-by-it-9076618.html) to “ensure that humanity is served by wealth and not ruled by it.” Frank Underwood [says that](http://www.hypable.com/house-of-cards-best-quotes/#6) “the road to power is paved with hypocrisy and casualties.” But [Pope Francis calls Frank’s bluff](https://twitter.com/pontifex/status/313971233676992512): “True power is service. The Pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable.” Frank Underwood has no time for human relationships. He tells us that [“friends make the worst enemies”](http://www.hypable.com/house-of-cards-best-quotes/#3) and that [“the best thing about human beings is that they stack so neatly.”](http://www.hypable.com/house-of-cards-best-quotes/#5) Pope Francis would surely implore Underwood [to remember his namesake](https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2013/documents/papa-francesco%5F20131004%5Fomelia-visita-assisi.html): “Saint Francis witnesses to respect for everyone, he testifies that each of us is called to protect our neighbor, that the human person is at the center of creation, at the place where God – our creator – willed that we should be. Not at the mercy of the idols we have created!” In the end, it will be this idolatry of power that will bring Francis Underwood down. Viewers might like him for a season or two, but every villain has his day. That’s too bad, because, as [Pope Francis reminds us](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/the-pope/9928854/Pope-Francis-from-abortion-to-the-Falklands-the-new-pontiffs-top-quotes.html), when focused on the common good, “politics is a noble activity.” And he would know. After all, it’s Pope Francis, not Frank Underwood, [who is the best politician in the world](http://time.com/119438/why-pope-francis-may-be-the-best-politician-in-the-world/). ## Transcript All right, Mr. President, just behind your wife, please. Today, I touched your shoulder. You flinched. Would you prefer I not? What? Where you have your hand is perfect. You recoiled. Great. All right, here we go. I think you're reading too much into. 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