The Baton Has Been Handed Off

Worldwide luminaries only come along every so often. Those people who actually effect change in the world that is visible and lasting are definitely few and far between. some of them are monstrous: Hitler, for example, and many others on the long list of infamy. But even serial killers don't always have the long-lasting effect...as proven by our continued lack of any sort of reasonable gun control in this country. India has made only small steps to curb the country's look-the-other-way policy concerning rape so there's much room for improvement.
The new pope, Francis has radically changed the way Catholics worldwide see their mission; he has done some serious housecleaning of the Vatican power structure and shamed many into taking a more tolerant look at those living alternate lifestyles...just as Jesus probably would have.
However, Nelson Mandela, who died today at 95, probably effected the most significant worldwide change in my lifetime even though he spent more than 20 years in prison to do it. Of course, Ghandi paved the way for the peaceful protests of America's Civil Rights movement, so props have to go to him as well. It's just that I don't remember much about his life, whereas it seems that Mandela's life has been bigger than life.
Looking around at world leaders, I can take every politician off the list of potential world-changers, and now that Mandela has gone, Pope Francis, it's up to you.