A voice for our time
In the great crossroads of history, voices appear to break the noise and give them back to the essentials. Twelve years ago, the world listened to one of these voices: Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis. Much more than the spiritual head of the Catholic Church was – and is – a living example of surrender, consistency and commitment to the universal values of peace, love and fraternity. His leadership was not made of Estrence, but of presence. And today, in a world that seems increasingly fragmented, it is inevitable to recognize: we needed – and we need it from Francis.
From the first moment, Pope Francis took a teaching with his eyes on the outskirts. In 47 apostolic trips, he led his voice and listening to the forgotten geographies of the planet – and the existential peripheries that so often do not fit the maps. With humility and courage, he pointed to the way of a faith lived with his feet on the ground and an open heart. And it left a warning that resonates particularly in our Europe: it is urgent to look beyond our borders and break with the comfortable logic of the usual allies. This is not just a religious appeal – it is a cry of conscience about the values that define us as civilization.
As a citizen and as a Catholic, but also – and perhaps above all – as politics, I cannot ignore this interpellation. We live in a time when the principles that founded the European Union – human dignity, solidarity, peace – face challenges inside and outside the walls of Europe. Francis The contribution was, in this context, of a rare lucidity. It showed us that the defense of these values requires more than proclamations: it requires action, commitment and, above all, empathy. It requires precisely to overthrow walls.
Their four encyclicals are the written testimony of this path. In Lumen Fideireaffirmed the centrality of faith in a time of doubt and disorientation. In Amoris Laetitiaspoke of love with the sensitivity and realism of those who know the fragility of human relations. Fratelli Tutti He is a true manifesto for a global social friendship, where the other is not an enemy but brother. AND Laudato Si ‘ It marked, for the first time, the environment as a moral priority, reminding us that our ‘ordinary house’ cannot continue to be neglected in the name of profit or inertia.
But the most remarkable in Francis was perhaps his ability to live what he preached. He did not just write: he practiced. He didn’t hide behind the Vatican walls: he went to meet. He was not a prisoner of formalism: he spoke clearly, affectionately and often with the firmness necessary to shake consciousness.
Francisco was an irreverent voice in a world that got used to resignation. A voice that did not be silent before war, inequality or indifference. He broke into everyone, regardless of faith, statute or geography. He spoke with the moral authority of those who put the latter first, and the values above interests.
Today, the world faces colossal challenges: armed conflicts, climate emergency, humanitarian crises, threat to democracy and freedom of expression. These are times that require courage and vision. The same courage and vision we found in Francis.
His example leaves us a legacy that is not only spiritual-it is deeply political and human. We can study it, yes. But above all, we must strive to live it. Your absence will be felt. But his testimony remains, as a guide in a time of uncertainty.
It will miss you a lot. But it also leaves a way. It is up to us to continue to go through it.
MEP PSD
