Succession in the Vatican in Times of Climate Crisis - OPINION - May 7, 2025

Pope Francis/Freepik

Succession in the Vatican in Times of Climate Crisis

By Claudia Andrade

The death of Pope Francis marks the end of an era and the beginning of an ethical vacuum that will be difficult to fill with the same courage, lucidity, and urgency. Francis was not only the leader of the Catholic Church—he was one of the last global moral voices to radically confront the climate crisis, structural inequality, and the ethical bankruptcy of political institutions. His encyclicals Laudato Si' (2015) and Laudate Deum (2023) warned of environmental collapse and denounced the slowness and hypocrisy of heads of state and international financial capital.

With his death, the Church enters a new cycle. The election of a new pontiff brings an inevitable question: Will the Holy See continue to be a bastion of ethical environmentalism and social justice, or will it retreat to more conservative positions in the face of internal and external pressure?

The prophetic and political legacy of Francis

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was, above all, a political pope—in the best and noblest sense of the word. He confronted the Roman Curia, challenged climate deniers, and refused to be neutral in the face of the advance of ultra-capitalism. His concept of “integral ecology” crossed religious boundaries, promoting an unprecedented dialogue between science, spirituality, and social responsibility.

In Laudato Si', Francis denounced the logic of unbridled consumption, the rampant exploitation of nature, and the systematic exclusion of the poor. The document was received with enthusiasm by climate leaders, academics, and activists, but with coldness (or silence) by the major centers of power.

Eight years later, Laudate Deum set the tone: the climate crisis is not just environmental—it is a global political failure. By specifically mentioning COP28, criticizing the ineffectiveness of multilateral forums, and appealing directly to young people and social movements, Francis reaffirmed his role as a global leader, in clear opposition to the immobility of nations.

Challenges for the next papacy: continuity or regression?

The election of Francis' successor will test the Church's maturity in the face of a new civilizational crossroads. There are two possible paths:

1. Transformative continuity: If the new pope decides to honor and deepen Francis' legacy, there will be room for a Church even more committed to social and environmental issues, linking faith, political action, and popular mobilization. This will require an equally courageous profile, with international articulation skills and sensitivity to contemporary dilemmas.

2. Institutional regression: On the other hand, pressure from conservative wings within the Vatican, coupled with global polarization and the advance of reactionary forces, could push the new pontificate toward a more traditionalist reconfiguration. This would be a return to an introspective, moralistic Catholicism that remains silent in the face of 21st-century injustices.

Both scenarios are up for grabs.

Vatican diplomacy and climate geopolitics

Francis' death also alters the geopolitical chessboard. Under his leadership, the Vatican was a relevant player in global discussions, including climate summits, social justice forums, and diplomatic mediations. His absence weakens this front for now. The new pope's voice will be sought; remaining silent will be a position.

In addition, there is growing expectation on the part of countries on the global periphery, especially Latin America and Africa, that the next pontiff will reflect the realities of these territories, which are the most impacted by climate change and the historical absence of effective public policies.

Francis leaves the stage as a moral giant.

Unlike his predecessors, Francis understood that the future of faith depends on the present of the Earth. There is no spirituality possible on a planet in collapse. He restored to the Church an active role in defending human dignity and the environment, and he did so not with liturgical speeches, but with harsh diagnoses, political gestures, and prophetic courage.

His successor will inherit not only the chair of Peter, but also a moral urgency: to keep alive the flame of a Church that takes a stand, that denounces, that acts. Everything that comes from now on will be scrutinized—both inside and outside the Vatican.

Francis has left, but his message remains as a challenge, a compass, and a thermometer: the world's time is short, and faith, to be alive, must also be revolutionary.

Claudia Andrade