You can read an online version of this Summer 2025 Issue here, or download a PDF version below.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in 1936, Francis entered the Society of Jesus in 1958 and was elected pope in 2013 following the resignation of Benedict XVI. His leadership marked a new chapter not only for the Catholic Church but for Jesuits across the world, many of whom were surprised — even stunned — by the election of one of their own.
In a personal reflection, Fr Dermot Preston SJ, who was Provincial of Jesuits in Britain at the time of Francis’ election, remembers confidently telling a school governor in March 2013 that there was no Jesuit in the running. “There’s an old cardinal from Argentina — but nobody will vote for him…” The shock that followed became a moment of grace. As Fr Dermot recounts, “Francis and the Society of Jesus shared the same horizons of mission, prayer, discernment and life.”
Fr Damian Howard SJ, Provincial from 2017–2023, reflects on how the pope’s priorities directly shaped his own leadership: renewed investment in young adult ministry, the foundation of the Laudato Si’ Research Institute at Oxford, and a new confidence in Jesuit identity and apostolic vision. “There is no doubt,” he writes, “that Pope Francis’ vision had been determinative.”
For Fr Peter Gallagher SJ, the current Provincial, Francis embodied the prophetic call to “stir things up” — Hagan lío! — not for destruction but for deeper conversion. “Upheaval is an avenue to peace,” he writes. “He inspired us to have a well-founded hope in what the world might become.”
That hope ran deep in Pope Francis’ witness to the marginalised. A moving article from David Ryall, recently appointed Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, recounts how his personal encounters with displaced people gave courage and dignity to those so often forgotten. “Not with words but with actions, he proclaimed a radical truth — he affirmed that dignity belongs to all, and solidarity is not an option but a necessity". An article from Paul Chitnis, Director of Jesuit Missions, reflects on key moments that expressed Francis’ closeness to those on the margins.
Young adults, too, felt seen by Francis. On pages 14–15, six contributors describe how his humble leadership made the Church more human, more joyful, and more rooted in compassion. “He built bridges for the young,” writes Andrew Cassidy, “and they, in turn, walked across them into the embrace of the Church.”
Francis’ call to integral ecology — rooted in his 2015 encyclical Laudato si’ — is remembered by the team at the Laudato Si’ Research Institute, who honour his voice as prophetic and urgent. “Perhaps as we commemorate Pope Francis,” writes LSRI’s Associate Director, Timothy Howles, “we can also consider his call to us. The time for action is here.”
The issue also explores Francis’ early days in Argentina and his entry into the Society of Jesus; his emphasis on synodality and how Jesuit parishes are living that call; and offers a summary of his theology by Fr James Corkery SJ, who identifies Pope Francis’ greatest gift to the Church: hope. Whether standing alone in an empty St Peter’s Square during the pandemic or issuing global calls for peace and fraternity, “Francis was really the parish priest of the world,” he writes. “His most visible legacy was his being with.”
Readers will also find a poster featuring key moments from Pope Francis’ life, some of his quotes, his prayer intentions for the months ahead, and resources to help pray and reflect on his legacy.
Leading at Home, Guided by Rome – Three Jesuit Provincials share how Pope Francis shaped the mission in Britain (pp. 4–6)
A Culture of Encounter – Pope Francis and the mission of the Jesuit Refugee Service (p. 7)
From the Ends of the Earth – Jorge Mario Bergoglio SJ’s life in Argentina (pp. 8–9)
Every Parish a Pilgrimage – Synodality in Jesuit parishes across Britain (pp. 10–11)
Awakened Young Hearts – How Pope Francis inspired young adult faith (pp. 14–15)
A Voice for the Earth – The Laudato Si’ Research Institute reflects on Francis’ ecological legacy (pp. 16–17)
Grazie, Francesco – Pope Francis’ theological legacy, by Fr James Corkery SJ (pp. 18–19)
Images of Compassion – How Francis embodied the Gospel at the margins (p. 20)
Prayer and Resources – Quotes, prayer intentions, and resources for remembering Francis (pp. 21–22)
