The global south has lost its pope. The world has lost its conscience | Nathalie Tocci

Pope Francis was not only the first pope from Latin America , but the first non-European to lead the church since the Syrian -born Pope Gregory III in the eighth century .

Francis made himself a pope of the global south also by speaking out forcefully on health, poverty, climate and migration.

He stood for inter-faith dialogue, resetting Christian-Muslim relations.

The 135 cardinals in the conclave meet in a few weeks to choose the next pontiff.

The Catholic church under Francis has changed significantly and several of the cardinals considered papabili (literally, papable’) either come from the southern hemisphere.

Living up to Francis ’s legacy as a principled voice of the global south will not be easy.