Although it came as no surprise, the death of Pope Francis I shocked the Catholic world and filled it with uncertainty about the continuity of an orderly policy that did not deviate from the guidelines established from the very beginning of his mandate, which lasted exactly 12 years and 39 days.

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Resisted by the clergy from the very beginning of his administration, Cardinal Bergoglio steadily gained merit based on his absolute respect for minorities and the upholding of his popular views. An enemy of grandstanding and grandiloquence, he was one of the most charismatic popes of recent times, alongside (albeit a step lower on the imaginary podium) Karol Wojtyla, the world's beloved John Paul II.

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It was precisely the most conservative sector of the Catholic Church, as well as some political and economic sectors, who were most opposed to his administration. These opponents harshly criticized his positions on social issues, his closeness to progressive movements, and his criticism of the ecclesiastical elite.

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These sectors emphasized the reforms promoted by Francis that were not recognized within the hierarchy; as well as hot-button issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and the role of women within the Church.

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Ultimately, opposition to the Argentine Pope came both from within the Church, where some did not share his reformist vision and social stance, and from outside, where some saw him as an overly critical and progressive figure.

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In Argentina, where he had never been since the beginning of his papacy, Francis also reaped both good and bad. Too closely identified with the Justicialist Party and its leader, Juan Domingo Perón, he was considered too extreme in his statements of support for that party's leadership and its struggle to vindicate populism in the country. This earned him resistance from the rest of the political spectrum, which felt in the background regarding his invitations to the Vatican and the treatment he received, with substantial differences between them. In fact, it was always known that Francis's refusal to visit his country was due to the need not to subliminally benefit the government of the day, even though its colors were already painted on his body and his heart in particular.

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In any case, neither side can deny the importance of his figure in the world. A Pope loved and adored by the faithful in countless countries who considered him their symbol, regardless of their religions. Even by the leaders of the various churches who shared countless visits and formal audiences and exchanged ideas, regardless of their original beliefs.

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Now everything begins anew. Through a conclave, the College of Cardinals determined that the American/Peruvian Robert Francis Prevost would be the Pope who would lead the Church under the name of Leo XIII, thus becoming the first American Pope in the history of the Catholic Church.

Let us pray for him then…