The next pope is suspected to shift the Catholic Church back to the ideological center following the death of Pope Francis on Monday (April 21), experts with knowledge of the situation reported in various outlets via the New York Post.
Pope Francis, 88, the first South American and Jesuit in the history of the papacy, showed support of LGBTQ Catholics and suppression of traditional Latin Mass during his 12-year reign and Serenhedd James, editor of Britain’s Catholic Herald magazine, said his successor would likely “be of a centrally conservative disposition” following “12 years of Pope Francis ‘stirring things up.'”
“I think the cardinals will want someone who will take a different, calmer approach,” he added.
Rev. Patrick Mary Briscoe, editor of Our Sunday Visitor, said the next pope would likely showcase “a renewed clarify of doctrine” to the church” which would be “focused more internally” on its governance. The New York Post listed the following cardinals as likely successors to Pope Francis following his death on Monday:
- Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, of the Philippines
- Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, of Italy
- Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, 66, of France
- Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk, 71, of Denmark
- Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, 77, of Sri Lanka
- Cardinal Robert Sarah, 79, of Guinea
The papal conclave, the election process to determine a new pope, typically lasts a few days, with Pope Francis having taken over for the resigning Pope Benedict XVI after just one day in 2013. Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced Pope Francis’ death in a text on Monday via Vatican News.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” he wrote. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was admitted to the Agnostino Gemelli Polyclinic on February 14 after several days of suffering from bronchitis and his situation worsened as he was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia on February 18. The pope was hospitalized for 38 days before returning to the Vatican to continue his recovery.
Pope Francis’ death came one day after he briefly met with Vice President JD Vance despite their public disagreements on President Donald Trump‘s administration’s planned mass deportation of migrants. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, and the pope spent several minutes together at the Domus Santa Marta “to exchange easter greetings.”
The pope, who has made caring for migrants a major focus of his papacy, warned that the Trump administration’s forceful removal of migrants due to illegal status deprived them of their inherent dignity and would “end badly” and claimed nations have the right to defend themselves and keep their communities safe from criminals.
Pope Francis delegated the saying of Easter Mass to Cardinal Angelo Comastri, later being spotted taking the popemobile into St. Peter’s Square for the first time since his diagnosis, which was met with “Viva il Papa” chants.
Pope Francis, a native of Buenos Aires, joined the Jesuits in 1958 and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1969, serving as the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina from 1973 to 1979 and later the archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, a cardinal in 2001.
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