Tomorrow, Thursday, May 15, marks the 134th anniversary of the publication of Leo XIII's encyclical. Rerum novarum (On New Realities). It remains the basis of the Catholic Church's social doctrine and underlines the idea of human dignity and the need to combat the misery and poverty that plagued most workers of his time. The document's objective was to overcome both the depredations of the savage capitalism of his time and the violence then associated with revolutionary movements, and especially with anarchism. Let us remember that we are talking about 1891; the Lyceum bombing, for example, occurred in 1893. The world of Leo XIII was the height of colonialism and industrialization; that of Leo XIV was that of globalization and the second digital revolution, that of AI. These are two comparable realities, to be sure, although great care must be taken not to invoke certain anachronisms. What we now perceive as progress, or as regression, was often interpreted in a very different way in their time. In my little library there is one History of the Popes In four volumes published in Paris in 1841. The author is Amédée de Hertault. They are preceded by a long 64-page introduction by Pierre-Sébastien Laurentie (1793-1876)—in fact, it's a separate essay. Laurentie was an anti-modern, anti-liberal, and legitimist French writer. I believe he was the most reactionary thinker of his time, and undoubtedly the spiritual father of Gobineau and Joseph de Maistre, although he also had a significant influence on Balzac, for example. Reading this introduction, one can see that certain things that attract our attention today went completely unnoticed at that time, and vice versa.

Black. This has been the color of the smoke that at 9:00 p.m., almost two hours behind schedule, has emerged from the chimney installed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, a few meters from the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. A long-awaited smoke that certifies that the first vote of the conclave that will elect Francis's successor The meeting ended without an agreement among the cardinals called to designate the future leader of 1.4 billion Catholics. No candidate obtained the 89 votes needed to sit on the chair of St. Peter. With 30,000 pilgrims, tourists, and curious onlookers who gathered since early afternoon in a sealed-off Piazza Sant'Pere (not just physically, since the Vatican has deactivated mobile phone networks throughout the country), the black smoke was no surprise. Subsequent ballots are usually conclusive. John Paul II needed eight votes. His successor, Benedict XVI, was elected in 2005 on the second day, in the fourth ballot.

For those who maintain—and we maintain—that the Church should be less opaque and more open to society, these days are a powerful counterargument: questions of faith cannot be opened to the world, because then the mystery quickly degrades into a vulgar and tacky spectacle, not unlike Eurovision. Rome is a magnificent city, this is obvious, but the Romans have long suffered from a fierce tourist overcrowding (which we also know here, with no less ferocity), now worsened by the floods of parishioners arriving from all over the planet as if they were typhoid Football fans or fans of pop stars. Religious tourism must have been one of the first forms of junk tourism, and it has never gone downhill. The media's constant connections with special envoys dedicated to pushing the artichoke in front of passing tourists, or at best, in front of some cardinal who's passing by quickly, combined with the legion of Vatican experts and conclave analysts who literally emerge from under rocks, like some insects, is killing it.

The speculation and betting are finally over. The 133 cardinal electors will meet this Wednesday afternoon in the Sistine Chapel., to hold the first vote. This is a conclave under double pressure: on the one hand, there doesn't seem to be a clear favorite, which means it takes several rounds to reach the necessary 89 votes; on the other, there's a certain rush, because no one wants a long, tight vote to worsen the sense of division within the Catholic Church.

The speculation and betting are finally over. The 133 cardinal electors will be locked in the Sistine Chapel this Wednesday afternoon. to take the first vote. This is a conclave under double pressure: on the one hand, there doesn't seem to be a clear favorite, which means it takes several rounds to reach the necessary 89 votes; on the other, there's a certain rush, because no one wants a long period of confinement to exacerbate the sense of division within the Catholic Church.

Since it goes Pope Francis dies, betting houses have enabled a space on their websites so that, in addition to predicting who will win a football match or a horse race, everyone can gamble on which cardinal will become pope. These multinationals, always on the lookout for business opportunities, know that, a priori, this conclave is expected to be long and uncertain.

Since it goes Pope Francis dies, betting houses have enabled a space on their websites so that, in addition to predicting who will win a football match or a horse race, everyone can gamble on which cardinal will become pope. These multinationals, always on the lookout for business opportunities, know that, a priori, this conclave is expected to be long and uncertain.

Condolences for the death of Pope Francis have spread throughout the world. The government replicated this decision in Catalonia, which has affected official events commemorating Sant Jordi. Is a declaration of national mourning for the death of a religious figure possible in a state like Spain, which is secular?

1- Empathy. The success of Pope Francis connects with the disparities of the present moment. The first American pontiff, he came from afar and sought to distance himself from the Roman Curia, those who believe themselves to be the owners of the business and resort to the most worn-out models of power to continue competing for hegemony in representing God among Christians. Despite his background coming from the most conservative sectors of the Argentine Church, Bergoglio grasped the need to reach out to the people, to look to the parishioners and not just to the Curia, the guardian of increasingly worn-out ways and means, distant from the street. His contribution expresses his character: he has been a figure who inspired more complicity, more accompaniment than intransigence, and who sought to encounter people through their concerns rather than through the transcendence of the higher values of the believer. This is the key to his success—which means that today he is being dismissed with a focus on his forms of proximity, much more than on indoctrination and promises.

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.

Surely Pope Francis wouldn't have been bothered by the widely circulated joke that his death came just after receiving JD Vance, the xenophobic, ultra-conservative, and ultra-Catholic US vice president. Joke aside, the coincidence underscores the idea that, despite his age, Francis has died before his time. With him passes away one of the few world leaders, undoubtedly the most important, who acted as a counterweight to the wave of fascism, fundamentalism, and obscurantism sweeping the West.

Surely Pope Francis wouldn't have been bothered by the widely circulated joke that his death came just after receiving JD Vance, the xenophobic, ultra-conservative, and ultra-Catholic vice president of the United States. Joke aside, the coincidence underscores the idea that, despite his age, Francis died before his time. With him passes away one of the few world leaders, undoubtedly the most important, who acted as a counterweight to the fascist, fundamentalist, and obscurantist wave sweeping the West.

In 2013, the magazine Time designated the new Pope Francis Person of the Year. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio had surprised world public opinion. Not only because he was the first Jesuit and American pontiff, nor because, with Benedict XVI's resignation, there would be two living popes, but because his attitude shocked the entire world. Upon stepping out onto the balcony of St. Peter's Square, Francis bowed and, referring to himself as the Bishop of Rome, humbly asked for the intercession of the crowd. A small, ecclesially revolutionary gesture! He then rejected driving around in luxury cars and living in the Apostolic Palace. He spoke of "a poor Church among the poor" and said he wanted "shepherds who smell like sheep." His first trip was to the island of Lampedusa, to draw world attention to the thousands of migrants who still die in the Mediterranean today.

Pope Francis briefly reappeared before the faithful this Sunday to impart his blessing. urbi et orbi, in Rome and around the world. From the central gallery of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, in front of more than 35,000 people, the Pontiff delivered his blessing in a whisper and wished everyone a happy Easter.

Today marks the twelfth anniversary of Pope Francis' election, a birthday he will spend hospitalized. It's unknown when he'll be able to leave, but at 88 years old and in poor health, the issue isn't when he'll be discharged, but rather whether he'll be fit to return to the Vatican to resume his demanding responsibilities, or whether he'll ultimately end up following a path like his predecessor's when he no longer felt it in his heart to continue; especially considering that Benedict XVI paved the way for this unexpected resignation, an option no pope had taken for more than six centuries. After all, Francis has shown that he cares little for the purple and instead values service greatly.

Today marks the twelfth anniversary of Pope Francis' election, a birthday he will spend hospitalized. It's unknown when he'll be able to leave, but at 88 years old and in poor health, the issue isn't when he'll be discharged, but rather whether he'll be fit to return to the Vatican to resume his demanding responsibilities, or whether he'll ultimately end up following a path like his predecessor's when he no longer felt it in his heart to continue; especially considering that Benedict XVI paved the way for this unexpected resignation, an option no pope had taken for more than six centuries. After all, Francis has shown that he cares little for the purple and instead values service greatly.