The Pope wants: What cardinal is the new leader looking for? |Religious News

When newly elected Pope Francis set foot on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica in 2013 and greeted the crowd, he joked that the Cardinal had already gone to the “apocalypse” – his hometown of Argentina – looking for a new Pontive.

Indeed, the conclusions shocked by Pope Benedict XVI's resignation have been actively seeking for a strong communicator bold enough to undertake the leadership of an institution plagued by sexual and financial scandals.

But as 135 cardinals, according to the voting rules, those under 80 are ready to attend the new papal meeting, Vatican analysts say elected voters now seem to be looking for a sober and unified figure who can piece together his revolutionary style of institutions and stabilize the central government of the church.

“Francis was chosen because he was not afraid of causing chaos and reform. The next pope must be someone who can calm things down,” said Andrea Gagliarducci, a Vatican analyst at the Catholic News Agency.

Work hard to unite

Back in 2013, its goal was to shift the focus of the church from Europe to Latin America, indicating the growing influence of Christians there and restored the order in Curia.

Pope Francis did not evade the mission. During his Pope, he rocked the status quo through fundamentally diverted tone, style and priorities, causing excitement from reformers, but was frustrated by the conservatives who accused him of diluting the church’s teachings.

His reforms, such as allowing priests (in some cases) to bless same-sex couples and overhaul the Vatican bureaucracy, have angered many. His unpredictable style of council relies on a small group of confidants and reduces the power of the church’s central government, which stirs up tensions.

But Francis was also frustrated by some of the more liberal tendencies, as his changes never seemed to translate into fundamental reforms of the church’s doctrine, especially when it comes to women’s roles in church and same-sex marriage.

People agree that the Cardinal must focus on choosing a reassuring character – those who will not revoke past progress but will equally not push over the border.

“We must move towards a pope who finds unity in the diversity of the church, love for the poor, attention to the most marginalized, but also rebuilding, not restoring the church, the governing body of the church.”

The name has begun to float. A strong contender is Louis Antonio Tagle, 65, a Pope Francis and a progressive ally. If chosen, the Philippines will become the first Asian pope. There is also cardinal Peter Erdo from Hungary, 72, who is a traditionalist and theologian known for his opposition to divorce Catholics and their anti-immigrant views. Fridolin Ambongo, 65, is known for his human rights and anti-corruption efforts.

Among Italians, the most frequently named is Pietro Parolin, 70, the Vatican Secretary of State, who plays a major diplomatic role and is a central figure in the leadership of Pope Francis. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 60, is the Vatican's top official in Middle Eastern affairs and his experience in the region has gained widespread respect.

Find the Global South

Geographically speaking, choices are never more extensive. During his tenure, Francis appointed 80% of the Cardinals to vote at this meeting and effectively changed the face of the clerk leadership by making his more representative global South representative.

Currently, the voting cardinals come from 65 countries (from many countries in Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania), and cardinals from Europe now account for 39% of the total, compared with 52% in 2013. North Americans were also less than Pope Francis' election.

This means that, for the first time, cardinals in the global South will be more than Europe, although Europeans still represent a relatively majority.

Cardinals from the global South tend to be closely aligned with Pope Francis’ progress on issues of social justice, immigration, climate change, and more, even if it means angering Western leaders, who often want the pope to take a stronger position on Russia, or a softer position on Russia or Israel.

During U.S. President Donald Trump's first president from 2017 to 2021, the pope spoke to the walls of the U.S.-Mexico border, saying that a man who replaced the bridge instead of Bridges was “not Christian.” Trump returned at the time and said the pope’s questioning of his beliefs was “shameful.”

A more conservative prospect?

Marco Politi, a Vatican expert and author of Pope Francis' book Pope Francis, said the strong presence of the global South in conference games could ensure that the church's future status will not be advanced by the church.

Still, what Francis appointed does not necessarily translate into supporting his vision in all respects. “In terms of social and gender issues, some newly elected cardinals from the global South are more conservative, especially about the role of women and homosexual rights in the church,” Politi said.

For example, Ambongo, the cardinal of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was played by Francis in 2019 as a cardinal, an opponent promoted by Francis, allowing the pastor to bless the same-sex couple. The retreat was so high that the Pope was forced to dilute the 2023 landmark ruling and allow blessings as long as they did not attend regular church rituals or liturgies, nor did they contribute in connection with civil unions or weddings.

Another factor is that many cardinals know almost each other, and at least 80 cards will be their first meeting and their first encounter with the complexity of the church’s central government – ​​even for those who are used to it, a “daunting” prospect. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, joked to the BBC that he thought the conference would be “through me” because he had only 80th birthdays for only a few months. When he was told that the Pope was seriously ill, he realized, “Oh, Lord, this will be my way.”

“The Pope wants to appoint cardinals from faraway countries to increase the internationalization of the church, but they may not understand the structure of the church, which is a world institution that ruled 1.4 billion people,” Politi said.

While it has not been determined when the Cardinals will be sealed in Sestin’s Sestin Church to vote for the next pope, they will gather twice a day for the Vatican’s internal budget meetings over the next nine days.

It was in one of these alliances, as the Italian conference before the 2013 conference was called, Jorge Mario Bergoglio gave a speech, which set him apart. A few days later, he became Pope Francis.

All Cardinals, including those over 80, can attend these meetings. When they stand on the main issue they believe is the new pope should solve, they may provide a clue of what kind of numbers they are looking for.