Cardinals at a crossroads: continue reforms or elect a new pope

Cardinals at a crossroads: continue reforms or elect a new pope

The pontificate of Pope Francis has deeply shaken the Catholic Church. His troubled 12-year pontificate, focused on a “poor church for the poor,” called on Catholicism to leave its comfort zone and settle in the poorest communities. Francis opened discussions on topics previously considered taboo, such as Role of women in the church. He welcomed LGBTQ Catholics as “Children of God” and opened the door for remarried divorcees to receive communion. He also attracted attention with his sharp criticism of economic injustice and his calls to protect the environment.

Resistance to the reforms

During his pontificate, however, Francis faced serious opposition from small but vocal conservative Catholic groups, as well as some indifference and quiet resistance from bishops in the hierarchy.

The upcoming election of the successor

Now that 133 voting members of the College of Cardinals are voting on the conclave prepare, they are faced with an important decision: Should the next pope continue the reforms and visions of the late pope or change course?

CNN spoke with several cardinals and other church sources about this article. While some cardinals prefer a safer candidate focused on unity, a close confidant of Francis said such a choice would be the "kiss of death" for the church.

The reactions to Pope Francis

Those who will enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the process of electing a new pope could hardly fail to notice the great affection for Francis following his death. When Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, spoke warmly about Francis' vision for the Church and the Homily At Francis' funeral, the people in St. Peter's Square applauded repeatedly. In East Timor, which Francis visited in 2024, around 300,000 people attended a service for the late pope on the same day as the funeral. This has led a retired cardinal to call on his confreres to take note.

The will of the people

“The people of God have already voted at the funerals and are calling for continuity with Francis,” said Cardinal Walter Kasper, 92, a theological adviser to the late pope, of La Repubblica, an Italian daily newspaper.

In other words – feel the mood in the church.

Francis' supporters believe that only a pope who is willing to continue what the late pope started can be successful. But the politics of the process of electing a pope are subtle. Anyone openly seeking the papacy immediately disqualifies themselves, and the cardinals must vote according to what they recognize as the will of God. Still, this does not mean that they simply sit in their rooms and wait for divine inspiration on how to vote.

The Cardinals' Discussions

Every morning during the period before the conclave, the cardinals meet in the Paul VI Synod Hall for “general assemblies”. In the evenings, they often continue discussions over a plate of pasta and a glass of wine, with several seen eating at trattorias in Borgo Pio, a village-like neighborhood near the Vatican.

A trench line is already forming. Some cardinals want the next pope to follow firmly in Francis' footsteps and focus on the "diversity" of the universal church, whose center of gravity has shifted from Europe and the West. Others are calling on the next pope to emphasize “unity” – a code word for a more predictable approach.

The different perspectives

Austen Ivereigh, a biographer of the Pope and Catholic commentator, describes the two positions as follows. “The first (diversity) sees Francis as the first pope of a new era in the Church, showing us how to evangelize today and how we can fruitfully hold our differences together,” he explained.

“The second (unity) sees the Francis era as a disruption that must now be contained by a return to greater unity.”

Those who argue for "unity" are among the late pope's loudest critics, like Cardinal Gerhard Müller, the former head of the Vatican's faith authority, whom Francis replaced in 2017. He described the last pontificate as divisive and authoritarian and recently told the New York Times: “All dictators divide.”

Most cardinals will not share Müller's characterization, and many have repeatedly expressed their appreciation for Francis' concern for the marginalized and his ability to communicate with people.

Criticism of the last pope

But a number of them rally around the theme of “unity” and have many criticisms of the last pontificate, including the decision to launch a comprehensive, multi-year reform process – the Synod – which has raised questions about women's leadership and the exercise of power in the church.

Some also disliked Francis' pointed criticisms of priests who like to wear elaborate vestments, or his blessings for same-sex couples, which were rejected by some bishops in Africa. The sentiment within the “unity” group, which enjoys support from some retired cardinals, is that the next pope should need less of Francis’ disruptive style.

The possible successor

The leading “unity” candidate appears to be Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s secretary of state. He would not represent an obvious break with Francis, but his style would be very different. Parolin is a mild-mannered, thoughtful Italian prelate who oversees Vatican diplomacy, which includes a tentative deal with China on the appointment of bishops.

But Parolin's skeptics point to his lack of experience at the church's grassroots level and criticize his shallow address at a mass for some 200,000 young people in St. Peter's Square, a day after Francis' funeral. Reading from his notes, the cardinal appeared unable to captivate the congregation, in stark contrast to Francis, who frequently spoke freely and often maintained a dialogue with young people.

The choice and its consequences

The cardinals who gather in the Sistine Chapel next week for the conclave are not only electing a new pope, but are making a pivotal decision that will shape the church for years.

Many of them have come from most parts of the world and have experienced significant changes in the College of Cardinals during Francis' pontificate. Some come from regions that previously did not have a cardinal. This leads to many cardinals not knowing each other well, which is why they wear name tags during their discussions.

The intense media coverage appears to have surprised many cardinals who are not used to being harassed by groups of reporters. It is much harder to predict how such a diverse body will vote. However, it appears that the cardinals from the "peripheries" who represent the Catholic Church's shift away from Europe largely share the late pope's vision and are primarily focused on how the next pope will respond to global crises.

Charles Bo, the first cardinal from Myanmar appointed by Francis in 2015 and who wants to see continuity with Francis' reforms, told CNN in an email that the next pope must "relentlessly seek peace" and be a voice of moral authority who "calls humanity back from the brink of destruction."

“Religions must unite in a common goal to save humanity,” he said. "The world urgently needs a new breath of hope - a synodal path that chooses life over death, hope over despair. The next Pope must be that breath!"