Why has there not been more progress in taking up the priorities which Pope Francis has defined for his papacy? Since his election in March 2013 Francis has published four major documents that together clearly map out his programme. The apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium is a vibrant, inspiring call to create a Church that is of and for the poor; the encyclical Laudato Si’ spells out a moving and beautiful theology of the environment; and his second exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, addresses issues in sexuality, marriage and family life with freshness, realism and compassion.