On April 21, 2025, Easter Monday, the heart of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis, stopped beating. What remains of his pontificate one year later?
His magisterium on faith as the light of the world linked him closely to his predecessor, Benedict XVI, through the encyclical Lumen Fidei —The Light of Faith (2013)— which Francis promulgated with few additions. On the other hand, his reflection on God’s preferential love for the poor and the “discarded” was captured in the draft of the apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te —I Have Loved You (2025)—later completed by his successor, Leo XIV. This represents a concrete and natural expression of the continuity of the magisterium across three pontificates.
Much has been written about the legacy of Pope Francis, highlighting his “star” encyclical, Laudato si’* (2015), undoubtedly the best-known, most original, and most influential of his documents. However, the heritage of that Pope who—as he himself said—the conclave went to find “at the end of the world” is much broader and deeper, both for the Church and for humanity.
When addressing the credibility of the person of faith—a highly topical issue—and always accompanying his words with gestures, Francis affirmed that it lies in the harmony between mind, heart, and hands; that is, in the coherence between what one thinks, feels, and does. The drama of today’s world—visible in politics, economics, and social relations—is precisely the rupture of that harmony: thinking without feeling or acting; feeling without acting or thinking; or acting without thinking or feeling.
The apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium —The Joy of the Gospel (2013)— the “manifesto” of his pontificate, presents four fundamental orientations for governing and for living:
* “Time is greater than space”: It invites the creation of long-term processes, overcoming the shortsightedness of politics oriented toward immediate achievements. Think of the energy transition.
* “Unity prevails over conflict”: In the tensions of all human endeavors, objectives that promote the common good must prevail. A point to consider for the reforms that Bolivia urgently needs.
* “Realities are more important than ideas”: Concrete, local, and cultural reality must take precedence over abstract theoretical schemes. It marks the limits of populist utopias.
* “The whole is greater than the part”: Every decision must consider its global effects, as partial solutions can cause greater damage in other areas. If you doubt it, ask Trump about his insane war.
Laudato si’ focuses on ethics: the root of the environmental crisis is not found only in technical factors, but in the human heart and in that “despotic anthropocentrism” that uses nature without respecting it.
Francis led by example: his way of living, his style of dress, and his behavior reflected a deep inner austerity. To this was added his capacity for listening and his insistence on walking and discerning together with the people—what we now call “synodality.”
His proposal for an “integral ecology,” which articulates human, spiritual, and technological dimensions, remains fully relevant. It is an invitation to prefer sobriety over consumerism, reconciliation over the exploitation of the earth, and creative effort over rent-seeking, under the awareness of the precariousness of existence. He would repeat it with irony: “you have never seen a moving truck behind a hearse.”
His humor, often incisive, was also part of his magisterium: he criticized priests with “vinegar faces,” “museum” Christians (with no life), excessive moralism, and intolerance for popular religiosity, as in the famous “yes, padrecito” anecdote. Thank you, Pope Francis!