By José Roberto Balmori*
The papacy of Jorge Bergoglio, who chose Francisco in honor of San Francisco de Asís, one of the most humble and fraternal saints, leaves us with a series of reforms in the administration of the Catholic Church, as well as four encyclicals. These letters develop the main thesis of this great man who, together with the last popes, has contributed to the construction of the Church’s social doctrine. During the thirteen years of his papacy, Francisco wrote The light of faith (The light of faith) in 2013, Laudato yes (Praised be) in 2015, All brothers (All brothers) in 2020 and Loves us (He loved us) in 2024. In this analysis, I will concentrate on two letters that define the economic thought of Pope Francis and the role of the Catholic Church: Laudato yes y All brothers.
In Laudato yes, Pope Francis makes a point call to the care of the common house of all humanity: the earth. In this encyclical, the Pope emphasizes the ecological crisis, social inequality and the impact of climate change, and how these problems are related to the Gospel of Jesus. Pope Francis advocates an ecological conversion and a more just and inclusive economy, in which the well -being of all people is sought. In a first part, Pope Francis presents a count of the environmental problems that we face and then explain the biblical vision of creation, pointing out the relationship between God, human beings and the environment. It also suggests an integral ecology that promotes the connection between the environment, society and people, proposing changes in our lifestyle, the adoption of clean energy and the promotion of social justice.
In All brothers, Pope Francis focuses on fraternity and social friendship as fundamental pillars to achieve social justice. In this letter, the Pope calls on all the men and women of the world to promote a culture of the encounter, where faith, peace and dialogue allow a fair economy. This encyclical opposes all kinds of violence, such as wars or the death penalty, and urges the search for peaceful solutions to conflicts. It also suggests a meeting policy that advocates the development of all and not just some economic actors. To do this, he takes up the teachings of Jesus, as well as the philosophy of San Francisco de Asís.
Both letters feel the foundations for a movement known as Francisco’s economy. In this perspective, the human rights of workers acquire a central role, and a call to rethink the economic and business models to seek the integral development of people. Since 2019, Pope Francis has met with young people, businessmen and economists around the world to boost the idea of a more just and equitable economy, under a clear Franciscan inspiration. This movement within the Church rescues the generosity, solidarity and culture of communion as pillars that allow us to move towards social justice.
At his papacy’s cusp, Pope Francis himself has rescued many of these ideas and has put them into practice within the Catholic Church. For example, it implemented reforms that promote economic transparency and the inclusion of women in the administration of economic tasks within the Vatican. Likewise, Pope Francis strengthened dicasteries for the service of charity (previously known as Heart is one) Within the Vatican, with the idea of promoting social justice with the help of the different dioceses throughout the earth. Finally, Pope Francis was very vocal in his defense of the most vulnerable and those who suffer the most, such as migrants and marginalized.
It is worth emphasizing that in the last Congress of Cardinals, before the conclave where the new Pope was elected, the awareness that many economic reforms within the Vatican need to continue being carried out by whoever happens to Francisco was reiterated. Although the new Pope must pay even more attention to the Church administration itself than Pope Francis did, the reforms he implemented are remarkable. And that is why many Catholics will miss it. Goodbye, Pope Francis.
About the author:
*DR. José Roberto Balmori, director of the Bachelor’s Programs at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the Universidad Anáhuac Mexico.
Twitter: @jrbalmori
The opinions expressed are only the responsibility of their authors and are completely independent of the position and the editorial line of Forbes Mexico.
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