His vision of a synodal and outward-looking Church leaves a profound legacy that continues to inspire us to work towards the lay vocation.
Pope Francis, in his life and teachings, demonstrated a deep trust in the laity as an essential part of the People of God. From his encyclical Evangelii Gaudium, where he stated that “the mission of the Church is a mission of all,” to his more recent interventions, he emphasized the vital role the laity play in evangelization and in building a more just and compassionate world. According to him, the laity are not “guests” in the Church, but “full members of the People of God,” called to live their vocation in every area of society.
In the reform of the Roman Curia, concretized in the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, he made it clear that all the baptized faithful are called to proclaim the Gospel, including in leadership positions. He said:
“The Pope, the Bishops and other ordained ministers are not the sole evangelizers in the Church. They know that they were not established by Christ to undertake by themselves the entire saving mission of the Church to the world. Each Christian, by virtue of baptism, is a missionary disciple “to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus.”
One of the most significant aspects of Pope Francis’ papacy was his insistence on synodality, understood as the need for laity and pastors to walk together in the mission of the Church. As he said: “Synodality finds its source and ultimate end in mission: it is born of mission and oriented to mission.” This approach reflects his belief that the Church is not a place of separation, but one of communion, where everyone, regardless of their role, is called to work together to announce the merciful love of God.
Francis also emphasized the importance of co-responsibility between laity and pastors, especially in pastoral decision-making. Throughout his papacy, he highlighted that “it is time for pastors and laity to walk together, in all areas of the Church and in all parts of the world.” This inclusive and participatory vision of the Church invites the laity to take on their mission in the secular world—through work, politics, culture, and the arts—as agents of change and witnesses of the Gospel.
Pope Francis’ legacy will live on in the life of the Church. As he reminded us, “the laity are on the front lines of the life of the Church,” and it is they who, through their testimony and commitment, carry forward the evangelizing mission in the world. In his words: “We need their testimony on the truth of the Gospel and their example in expressing their faith through solidarity.”
In a letter he wrote to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, he said, “Looking continually at the People of God saves us from certain declarationist nominalisms (slogans) that are fine phrases, but that are unable to sustain the life of our communities. For example, I now recall the famous phrase: ‘the hour of the laity has come’, but it seems the clock has stopped.”
Photo: Vatican Media
