The passing of a Pontiff, and the consequent process to identify his successor, is always a momentous occasion, an appointment with history. Apart from the lush ceremonial that dictates every moment, each steeped in history and tradition, it is also an occasion to remember the legacy of the late Pope, but also perhaps reflect on the role of the Church today, and its relevance looking ahead.

Pope Francis will be remembered for his courage to take the Church into uncharted territory, opening up the papacy to more people than ever, truly being a Pope of the people. With his trademark smile, quick wit, and genuine humility, he could reach out to sections of society who had increasingly been alienated by the Church, and build bridges with them. After all, that is what Pontifex actually means - Latin for bridge builder.

Which brings us to the part where we look ahead. If I were one of the 135 cardinals at the conclave, burdened with the immense responsibility of choosing the next Pope, I would choose the man most suited to build bridges, far and wide, long and deep, to break down barriers and make people feel at home.

It is not the first time that the relevance of the Church has been put into question in the modern age, and for good reason. Society has changed, and keeps changing so fast that the ancient organisation may find it hard to keep up. However, in my view, an ancient tradition cannot be the excuse for the Church to fade into irrelevance.

Society, in modern times, needs strong leadership, now more than ever as new challenges continue to threaten the social fabric of our communities.

Modern life has a tendency of painting success in black and white, determining a very narrow view of what it means to be successful. Yet life is a bouquet of colours and hues, and success is relative to the goals we determine for ourselves. In a world that is apparently driven by monetary gain, and materialism, we need a strong voice that can cut through the noise, and offer hope to those who have fallen off the high speed train of 'success'.

New family dynamics mean that the most basic building block of our society has changed considerably over the past few decades. This however does not mean that families love each other less. It means that they express their emotions, differently, perhaps in more authentic ways. The last thing people want is judgement for their choices, and perhaps that is why Pope Francis managed to reach out to so many people so successfully, because he always held back from judging others. He even encouraged priests to do the same - 'God understands', he would reassure them.

Society needs a clear voice of guidance when facing new social scourges, such as the unbridled use of recreational drugs which have sadly become the norm. As society appears to have given up on doing the right thing, we need a strong voice of reason, that can inspire our young to search for authentic, natural highs.

We also need strong leadership that holds society to account, and reaches out to the most vulnerable of our communities. Poverty, homelessness, and other shameful predicaments around the globe do not seem to be going anywhere. We need a genuine voice that can inspire, and be the representative of the last ones of our society, like the carpenter of Nazareth was.

Pope Francis embodied all this, and his successor has some enormous shoes to fill. I trust that the Cardinals will understand the needs of the times, and choose the right successor of Peter, who can stir the Church towards increased relevance, in the context of a society that really needs it.

Alexander Mangion is Deputy Mayor of Attard