Free book reflects on Pope Francis’ teachings on religious life

With the aim of keeping alive the pastoral, spiritual, and social legacy of Pope Francis, the free book “Legado de Francisco a la Iglesia y a la Vida Religiosa” (“Legacy of Francis to the Church and to Religious Life”) is now available online. The book consists of essays written by academics and religious from various parts of Latin America and is entirely in Spanish except for an essay on Amazonia written in Portuguese.

The initiative was spearheaded by the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Men and Women Religious (CLAR, by its Spanish acronym) in the context of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations held on April 26, just a few days after the first anniversary of the death of the Argentine pontiff, who passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88.

In the introduction, Father Israel Arévalo Muñoz, deputy secretary of CLAR, explains that the volume brings together diverse perspectives on “the pastoral, political, spiritual, and ecological imprint that Pope Francis has left on the Church and on society.”

The content is divided into four sections: “Spirituality and New Humanism,” “Theological-Pastoral Horizons,” “Francis’ Challenges to Religious Life,” and “Francis and the World’s Socio-Environmental and Political Challenges.”

Twenty-one authors from diverse ecclesial and academic backgrounds collaborated on the work, including laypeople, women religious, and priests from congregations and institutes such as the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, the Society of Jesus, and the Order of Preachers, among others. The prologue was written by Cardinal Ángel Rossi, SJ, archbishop of Córdoba, Argentina, who is considered a “spiritual son” of Francis.

Arévalo notes that one of the central themes of the text is to demonstrate that Pope Francis’ leadership was grounded “in prayer, listening to the Spirit, and the conviction that the Gospel must once again become the center of ecclesial life.”

He also notes that the Holy Father championed a “profound ecclesial reform, grounded in transparency, co-responsibility, and pastoral conversion.”

Regarding his style of evangelization, the priest highlights that it was distinguished by “closeness, service, simplicity, and a commitment to the poor and marginalized” as well as by promoting a Church that is “Samaritan, missionary, and present in the geographical, social, and existential peripheries.”

In this regard, the deputy secretary of CLAR expressed his hope that the book would inspire civil society, the Church, and religious life to “embody a coherent, prophetic, and compassionate leadership” and motivate Catholics to work toward “a culture of encounter, interreligious dialogue, respect for diversity, and the pursuit of unity amid differences.”

The book can be downloaded free of charge here.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.