By Employees Author
Might 6, 2025
Tomorrow, Might 7, 2025, the Italian newspaper La Stampa will distribute a commemorative guide titled The Legacy of Francesco, specializing in the life and affect of Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio), free to its readers. Curated by La Stampa’s deputy director, Gianluca Paolucci, the guide serves as a tribute to the late pontiff, who handed away on April 21, 2025, at 88 on account of issues from bilateral pneumonia. The announcement follows a documentary launched by La Stampa and Vatican Information on Might 4, 2025, titled Past Francis: Bergoglio’s Legacy and the Look ahead to the New Pope, signaling heightened curiosity in Bergoglio’s contributions because the Catholic Church anticipates a brand new chief.
A Tribute to a Transformative Pontiff
The Legacy of Francesco chronicles the journey of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the primary Latin American and Jesuit pope, elected on March 13, 2013. Identified for his humility, outreach to the marginalized, and requires peace, Francis left an indelible mark on the Church and world society. The guide attracts on La Stampa’s intensive protection, together with interviews, reminiscent of his 2022 enchantment to Vladimir Putin to halt the Ukraine invasion, and private anecdotes, like his lighthearted response to a joke on Italian TV in January 2025 whereas presenting his autobiography, Spera.
Bergoglio’s papacy emphasised mercy, interfaith dialogue, and social justice, as seen in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti (2020), which advocated world solidarity in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his unprecedented go to to Russia’s embassy in Rome to plead for peace. His easy way of life—selecting to dwell in Casa Santa Marta over the Apostolic Palace—and symbolic gestures, like washing girls’s toes at Holy Thursday Mass, redefined papal ministry. The guide additionally addresses controversies, together with criticism from conservative Catholics over his progressive stances on points like homosexuality and divorce, and tensions with predecessors like Benedict XVI.
Why Free Tomorrow?
La Stampa’s resolution to supply the guide free aligns with Pope Francis’ imaginative and prescient of accessibility and outreach, coinciding with the continued Jubilee of Hope, which he championed. The initiative, introduced by way of X by La Stampa journalist Domenico Agasso, displays the newspaper’s dedication to honoring Bergoglio’s name for a “Church of the poor, for the poor.” The guide is predicted to incorporate unique content material, reminiscent of excerpts from his interviews with La Stampa’s vaticanista Andrea Tornielli and reflections on his ultimate days, together with his March 2025 message from the Gemelli Hospital praising volunteers.
A Lasting Legacy
The Legacy of Francesco underscores Bergoglio’s function as a bridge-builder in a polarized world. His tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore, marked merely “FRANCISCUS,” embodies his humility, a stark distinction to the ornate burials of previous popes. Because the Church prepares for a conclave, the guide invitations readers to replicate on Francis’ message of hope, solidarity, and compassion, which resonated with tens of millions, from his 2020 COVID prayer in a abandoned St. Peter’s Sq. to his advocacy for migrants and the setting.
Readers can receive the guide with tomorrow’s La Stampa version at collaborating newsstands in Italy, whereas provides final. The discharge is poised to attract important consideration, with 1000’s anticipated to go to Francis’ tomb, accessible since April 27, 2025, mirroring the worldwide outpouring of grief at his passing.
Sources: La Stampa, Mondadori Retailer, Repubblica, Vatican Information
