Making sense of ‘Vos estis’ after Francis

Is Francis’ signature motu proprio a product of the pope, or of circumstances?

Inside the coffin of Pope Francis is a document known as a rogito: a brief, biographical overview of a deceased pope’s life and the key events in his ecclesial ministry, held in a sealed metal tube.

A statue of St. Helen in St. Peter’s Basilica, photographed on April 25, 2025, as Pope Francis lay in state ahead of his funeral. © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk.

The ro…