The Theological Legacy of Pope Francis

Dear Colleagues,

From the beginning of the Papacy of Pope Leo XIV, many have been asking what will be the relationship of his pontificate with that of Pope Francis. This discussion has continued through the early months of the pontificate of Leo and it has been striking that the holders of most shades of opinion in the Catholic Church and beyond have found qualities in Pope Leo that they like. This Special Issue of the journal Religions takes a step back from journalistic Vatican-watching and, instead, explores the question of the theological legacy of Pope Francis. This question does not seek to offer an overall evaluation of the papacy of Francis, which, like any papacy, had dimensions that included pastoral care, church governance, and an engagement with geopolitical affairs. By posing the question of a theological legacy it places a stress on the intellectual dimension of the influence exercised by the Pope and considers consequences that might extend beyond one succeeding pontificate. Of course, raising questions of legacy so briefly after the demise of a pope has its limitations. Historians can wait fifty years before daring to pass judgment on such matters. Inevitably, then, contributors to this Special Issue will have to engage in guesswork since we do not know what the future holds. Inevitably, also, contributors will reveal personal preferences about what they hope will or will not form part of the theological legacy of Francis.

And yet, it seems natural, already at this early stage, to pose questions about the theological legacy of Pope Francis. One reason is that he was a charismatic figure with a high public profile. It is normal to ask what influence remains after the departure of such a figure from the public scene. For those who believe that Pope Francis was not, as is sometimes stated, “merely a pastoral pope” it is normal to begin taking stock of what will be his longer-term, intellectual influence on the church. Within this context, here are some suggestions for articles that might stimulate contributions to this Special Issue.

• The Uruguayan intellectual, Alberto Methol Ferré, anticipated that the arrival of the fist Latin American Pope would represent a Spirit-led mediation to the universal church of the manner in which the church in Latin America had appropriated the gifts of Vatican II. He likened this to other epoch-shaping periods in church history when theological and ecclesiastical developments occurring in one region became a gift to all the others by the appointment of a pope from that region. Does such a description apply to Pope Francis?
• A documentary approach to studying the legacy of Francis. With the death of Pope Francis his various published documents, speeches, etc., can be considered to be a “closed canon,” with the study of any one document needing to be interpreted with reference to the others. Nevertheless, one can still speculate about the abiding importance of certain themes promoted by the Pope, and these were often evidenced in one document or, at least, a limited number of his documents, for example:
  • Laudato Si’ and the importance of a stress on integral ecology in Catholic social teaching.
  • Frattelli Tutti, and what Pope Francis achieved both in promoting international peace and in collaborating with Islam and other religions in pursuit of this.
  • Amoris Laetitia and an approach to moral theology characterized by a principle of graduality.
• Arguably the Synod on Synodality was the culmination of the pontificate of Pope Francis, both theologically and pastorally. Early statements by Pope Leo indicate that this dimension of the legacy of Francis is one that he intends to prolong. While the Synod most clearly addressed issues of church structure and mission it touched, in fact, on many other theological questions. Arguably, it will be with reference to the ongoing synodal process that the abiding theological influence of Pope Francis will be felt.
• The burning questions. Much journalistic coverage was devoted to discussing the position of Pope Francis on “burning questions” that included issues of sexual orientation, the role of women in the church, the role of lay people in ecclesial decision-making, etc. Contributing authors may wish to address these themes. Two points may stimulate such contributions. First, criticism of Pope Francis on these issues came both from progressive and conservative voices. Second, as Pope Leo has pointed out, participants in the Synod on Synodality also found it difficult to reach consensus on these burning issues. Of importance here is the formation of ten study groups that outlast the Synod on Synodality and represent a turn to academic theology as a way enriching synodal reflection on controversial issues.
• The “Global Compact on Education.” This initiative was launched by Pope Francis and subsequently promoted by the Dicastery for Culture and Education. The Compact involves a commitment by universities—Catholic and otherwise—to pursue seven research priorities. These priorities are related to Catholic social teaching. They have a strongly interdisciplinary character, but theology is included in each of them. The fact that many universities around the world have signed up to this Compact indicates, in a direct way, that the leadership of Pope Francis continues to exercise an influence at an academic level.
• Geographic differentiation of the reception of the theological legacy of Pope Francis.
• What do intelligent critics of the Francis pontificate have to say about his probable theological legacy?
• Did the Francis pontificate have a theological impact on non-Catholic Christian theologians, or, even, on theologians in other religions?

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send this to the Guest Editor, Prof. Dr. Gerard Kevin Whelan SJ (whelan@unigre.it), and CC the Assistant Editor, Margaret Liu (margaret.liu@mdpi.com) of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

A tentative timeline:
Deadline for the abstract: 28 February 2026
Deadline for the full manuscript: 31 July 2026

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Gerard Kevin Whelan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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• theological legacy
• Synodality
• integral ecology
• graduality
• Laudato Si’
• Fratelli Tutti
• Amoris Laetitia
• Global Compact on Education
• Vatican II Reception
• Ecumenical Dialogue
• interreligious collaboration