Francis, a reference beyond religion

Beyond the purely religious dimension, there is no doubt that the figure of Pope Francis has left an indelible mark on this first quarter of a century. There may be debate about whether his reform efforts in a stagnant Church have been sufficient or successful, but it cannot be denied that he has marked a before and after compared to his predecessors and has opened paths that were unimaginable just a few decades ago. His commitment to the most vulnerable, the poor, and the marginalized of all kinds has remained unchanged until the last day of his pontificate, and he has represented an example to follow in a world increasingly veering toward selfishness and lack of solidarity. His speech in support of migrants after receiving a visit from US Vice President JD Vance should resonate in the ears of all those who, in the name of a supposed defense of Catholicism, embrace xenophobic theories. As should his defense of peace as a universal value and of ecology as a way of relating to the planet.

Not in vain has Francis been a pope with very powerful enemies, even within the Curia. However, this did not prevent him from being self-critical on issues such as child abuse committed by members of the Church, the role of women, or the treatment of different sexuality options. Never has there been a pope with a more open vision or one who made a more sustained effort to reach out to different social realities. Never has a pope offered such a desacralized image of himself and clearly opted for proximity and transparency. In fact, one of the criticisms leveled at him from the most conservative sectors was that he was too straightforward and not given to pomp: all too human,in short.

That's why the next conclave will be so important, from which a successor will emerge who must decide whether to continue the path started by Francis or turn back, whether to continue his work, inspired by the essential message of Jesus of Nazareth and connected to the work of grassroots Christian movements, or whether to opt for withdrawal. One of the pontiff's most important—and least public—struggles has been to reduce the influence in the Church of ultra-Catholic movements, which have always seen him as a usurper or even a heretic. This is because Francis had become a universal ideological reference, beyond the Catholic or Christian sphere, with a clearly progressive bent.

The Church, therefore, finds itself at a crossroads. The temptation to choose the path of return to basics will be very powerful, especially given the reactionary moment the world is experiencing. But the reactionaries will be mistaken if they think they can thus halt the secularization of modern societies. Francis understood this very well, choosing to reach out to everyone with whom he could share values, often leaving aside individual beliefs.