The Catholic Church is at a Crossroads: Choosing a Successor to Pope Francis
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The pontificate of Pope Francis has profoundly shaken up the Catholic Church, with his restless 12-year-papacy focusing on a “poor church for the poor” and opening discussions on topics that were once viewed as off-limits. As 133 voting members of the College of Cardinals prepare for the conclave, the closed-doors process to elect Francis’ successor, they face a weighty choice: Build on the late pope’s reforms and vision, or slow things down and embark on a course correction.
According to a report by CNN, Francis’ supporters say that only a pope willing to continue what the late pontiff started will do so. However, the politics of a papal election process are subtle, and anyone overtly campaigning to be pope immediately disqualifies themselves. The cardinals must vote according to what they discern to be the will of God.
As the cardinals meet in the Paul VI synod hall for “general congregations” and discuss the future of the church, a fault line is already emerging. Some cardinals want the next pope to follow firmly in Francis’ footsteps and focus on the “diversity” of the universal church, whose axis has shifted away from Europe and the West. Others are calling on the next pope to emphasize “unity” – code for a more predictable, steady-as-she-goes approach.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, 92, a theological adviser to the late pope, told La Repubblica, an Italian daily newspaper, that “the people of God have already voted at the funerals and called for continuity with Francis.” In other words, read the room. The outpouring of affection for Francis after he died has led one retired cardinal to urge his confrères to take note.
The leading “unity” candidate, it would appear, is Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See Secretary of State. However, his sceptics point to his lack of experience working at the church’s grassroots and his flat delivery of a homily at a Mass for around 200,000 young people in St Peter’s Square, the day after Francis’ funeral.
Others see the unity argument as superficially attractive but having the wrong focus. Cardinal Michael Czerny, who worked closely with Pope Francis, and has led the Vatican office for human development, said that unity – while essential – cannot be a program or a policy. “The terrible danger is, if you make this your obsession, and if you try to promote unity as your primary objective, you end up with uniformity,” he said.
As the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel for conclave, they are not just casting their vote for a new pope, but making a critical decision that will impact the church for years to come. The group of cardinals choosing Francis’ successor is a diverse body drawn from virtually every corner of the globe, and it seems the cardinals from the “peripheries,” who represent the shift in the Catholic Church’s axis away from Europe, largely share the late pontiff’s vision and are primarily focused on how the next pope responds to the crises facing the globe.
The cardinals have been wearing name badges during the discussions in the Paul VI synod hall, as they try to get to know each other better. The intense media interest also seems to have startled cardinals unused to being swarmed by groups of reporters and cameras when they enter or leave the Vatican.
Charles Bo, the first cardinal from Myanmar, who was appointed by Francis in 2015, wants to see continuity with Francis’ reforms. In an email to CNN, he said that the next pope must “pursue peace without pause” and be a voice of moral authority which “calls humanity back from the edge of destruction.” Ultimately, the cardinals will have to discern what the future of the church should look like and choose a successor who will lead it.
As CNN’s Vatican analyst Elisabetta Pique notes, it is much harder to predict how such a diverse body is going to vote. The next pope will have to navigate the challenges facing the church, from poverty and inequality to the ongoing impact of the synod on the universal church.
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