When the newly chosen Pope Francis entered the balcony of the Basilica of San Pedro in 2013 to greet the crowd, Hey joked that the cardinals had gone “to the end of the world”, his native Argentina, to find a new pontiff.
In fact, the conclave, stunned by the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, had been actively looking beyond Europe a communicator bold enough to assume the leadership of an institution full of sexual and financial scandals.
But as 135 cardinals, those under 80 years of age, according to the voting rules, are preparing to meet for a new papal conclave after Francis’s death, Vatican analysts say that voters now seem to be looking for a figure that can be a style of piology and contribute stability to the central government of the church.
“Francis was chosen because he would not be afraid of the leg of creating chaos and reform. The next pontiff must be some that can calm things,” said Andrea Gagliarducci, an analyst at the Vatican of the Catholic news agency.
Strive
In 2013, the objective was to change the center of gravity of the Church from Europe to Latin America, an indication of the growing influence of Christians there, and restore order in the curia, the central government of the Holy See that had been seen by many.
Pope Francis did not avoid the task. Through his papacy, he shook the status quo through a tone of radical change, style and priorities, causing emotion among the reformers, but dismay between the conservatives who accused or diluted the teachings of the Church.
Their reforms, such as allowing priests to bless same -sex couples (in certain circumstances) and review the Vatican desktop cracy, enraged many. His unpredictable style of government, which depended on a small group of confidants and reduced the power of the central government of the Church, stirred tensions.
But Francis also frustrated some of the most liberal voices, since his changes never seemed to translate into fundamental reforms in the church doctrine, especially when it was the role of women in the church and same -sex marriage.
There is a consensus that cardinals must focus on choosing a reassuring figure, some that will not undo are adjusted to progress, but they will also not exceed the limits excessively.
“We Must Move Towards A Pope Who Finds Unity in the Diversity of the Church, Maintains Love for The Poor, Attention for The Most Marginalized, But Who Also Rebuilds, and not Restors It will be and a seraer Massimo Andera, to Massimo Andera -seraer Massimo Andera Serai and will be and will be and will be, and Massimo, Franco and Serai, will be Andera, a Massimo Andero de Serai -did, or eight books about the Vatican.
The names have begun to float. A strong contender is Louis Antonio Tagle, 65, a nearby ally of Pope Francis and a progressive. If chosen, the Filipino would become the first Asian Pontiff. There is also Cardinal Peter Erdo de Hungary, 72, a traditionalist and theologian known for opposing divorced Catholics who receive communion and their antimigrant points. Of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, 65, is known for the position on human rights and anti -corruption efforts.
Among the Italians, the most recurring name is Pietro Parolin, 70, the Secretary of State of the Vatican, who played an important diplomatic role and was a central figure in the leadership of Pope Francis. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 60, was the best Vatican official for the affairs of the Middle East, and his experience in the region won a generalized respect.
Looking to the Global South
Geographic speaking, the choice has never been broader. Duration of his mandate, Francis designated 80 percent of the cardinals who will vote in this conclave, and effective changed the face of clerical leadership by doing so much more representative of the global south.
Cardinals voters currently come from 65 countries, many from Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania, and those in Europe now represent 39 percent of the total, compared to 52 percent in 2013. There is Popwer.
This means that, for the first time, there will be more Cardinals from the Global South than from Europe, despite the fact that Europeans still represent a relative majority.
The Cardinals of the South Global have tended to be strongly aligned with the impulse of Pope Francis for progress in issues such as social justice, migration, climate and the end of the conflict in Gaza and Ukraine, even when the month of anger with the western test of the highly uproots of the ANGOND of the Angonde of the Tetten of EnGen against Russia, or a lower, Israel.
In a remarkable case during the first presidency of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, from 2017 to 2021, the Pope spoke against the American-Mexico border wall, saying that a person who builds walls instead of bridges “was not a Christian.” Trump retreated at that time, saying that the Pope’s interrogation about his faith was “misfortune.”
A more conservative perspective?
The strongest presence of the South Global South in the conclave can ensure that such positions are not overlooked by the Church in the future, said Marco Politi, an expert in the Vatican and author of the book, Pope Francis among the wolves.
Even so, being appointed by Francis does not necessarily translate into supporting his vision on all fronts. “Some of the new Chosen Cardinals of the Global South are more conservative when it comes to social and gender problems, especially with respect to the role of women’s rights and homosexuals within the Church,” said Politi.
For example, the Cardinal of the RDC, Ambongo, who was made Cardinal by Francis in 2019, a staunch opponent or Francis’s impulse to allow priests to bless same -sex couples. The setback was such that the Pope was forced to dilute a historical decision of 2023 and allow blessings alone as long as they are not part of the regular rituals or liturgies of the Church, nor given in contexts that are related to civil unions or weddings.
Another factor is that many of the cardinals are barely known and, for less 80 of them, this will be their first conclave and their first encounter with the complexities of the central government of the Church, an “intimidating” perspective for those accustomed to it. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, joked before the BBC he had had, although the conclave “would happen to me”, since he is just a few months after his 80th birthday. When he was informed that the Pope was seriously ill, he realized: “Oh, Lord, this will come on my path.”
“The Pope wanted to name the cardinals from distant countries to increase the internationalization of the Church, but they could have little knowledge of the structure of the Church as a world body that governs 1.4 billion people,” said Politi.
While a date has not yet established when the cardinals are secretly sealed within the Histine Chapel to vote for the next Pope, during the next nine days, they will meet twice a day for meetings prior to the Concl for the Vatican.
It was in one of the Congregazioni, since the meetings are called in Italian, before the 2013 conclave, that Jorge Mario Bergoglio gave a speech that promoted him to prominence. A few days later, he became Pope Francis.
All cardinals, including those over 80, can attend thesis meetings. As they present their positions about what they believe are the main problems that the new Pope should address, they can offer a clue about which son of the figure they are looking for.