"The Pope has helped people rediscover the joy of what it means to believe. That despite anyone's limitations, despite their sins, despite the crosses one might have to carry, there is an inherent joy in the Christian life."
His impact on the world at large has been much the same, he said. "Much of what makes a Christian a better Christian also makes a human being a better human being. In terms of taking care of the poor, visiting the lonely or the sick."
"And I think the Pope has been a huge wakeup call in that sense, for all faiths, of taking better care of their neighbors," Burke noted.
Despite confusing or misleading headlines at times, Francis' message has been consistent the last four years, Burke said: "the Pope's main message is simple and that remains: God loves you, God forgives you, and you just have to be willing to ask for that forgiveness and share God's love with others."
A lot of people think that the pace of activities Francis keeps are what makes it a "break-neck papacy," Burke said, but in reality, what has changed the most is communications.
"I think we keep up with it just like everybody else does. Though it's not always easy," he said.
Personally, Burke said that Pope Francis has impacted him in many ways over the last four years, one of which is in how he pays attention to the person right in front of him.
"He has somebody in front of him and for that moment it's that person and that person is all that counts and I think there's a lot to learn from that," he said.
"Quite frankly, most of us are busy with a million things, we're busy with our cellphones. We're talking to people and yet at the same time we're checking Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and maybe that's what saves the Pope – that he's not there with his cellphone."
Mary Shovlain contributed to this story.
Hannah Brockhaus is Catholic News Agency's senior Rome correspondent. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a degree in English from Truman State University in Missouri.