Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : With Pope Francis’s passing, the speculation around his successor has taken a different turn, with some conservative Catholics advocating for leaning back on traditional Church practices. Social media and blog posts have zeroed in on Cardinal Raymond Burke, Cardinal Robert Sarah from Guinea, and Ghana's Cardinal Peter Turkson—all men of great authority who are famous for adhering to more rigid philosophies and critiquing Francis's forward-thinking reforms.
In one of the articles by Daily Mail, Burke was placed in the spotlight, referring to him as a, “Conservative Wisconsin bishop who could become first American pope.” On Newsmax TV, Rev. Gerald Murray stated his wishes saying, “I do hope we see a revival of Catholic tradition governance modeled after Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.”
Nonetheless, the analysts from the Vatican are overly cautious, reminding everyone that these assumptions may be overly optimistic considering the public perception of the College of Cardinals. Talking about the electric conservative Catholic media, Alejandro Bermúdez told us how pessimistic America is imagining a Pope Burke is something so far removed from Vatican politics, and that is where the local reality sets in.
A conservative candidate’s candidacy like Burke and Sarah have almost no cardinal backers at all, as a senior Vatican official stated for The Washington Post. They added, “There is no space for them... They’ve got zero chance.” Turkson’s previously existing chances were further weakened after his 2021 removal from a senior post by Pope Francis.
Vatican scholar Rev. Thomas Reese dismissed claims for an ultra-conservative frontrunner, explaining that roughly 80% of cardinals in command were appointed by Pope Francis, thus solidifying his legacy. “They’re not going to elect a person who stands up and states that the Francis papacy was a disaster,” he said.
What Would a Moderate Successor Look Like?
Moderates and ultra-conservatives alike expect changes in policies related to the Latin Mass and LGBTQ+ inclusivity. Under the command of Robert Sirico, they may intuitively shift towards a “moderate” pope without a hard-right turn. Sirico claims that many critically devoted Catholics expect clear doctrine and a reduction of political framing eminating from the Vatican.
Regardless, some people advocate for unity instead of adding more political divides. Cardinal Gerhard Müller highlighted that “liberal” and “conservative” as monikers should not fracture the Church when he said, “There’s one church, and the church is united in the faith in Jesus Christ."
There are reports that some more moderate candidates, such as Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary, are being supported by some conservative leaders in the background. Cardinal Erdo has reformist credentials but has remained silent within the anti-Francis circle.
Vatican commentator Marco Politi suggests the conservative attempt is designed to make life difficult for reform-minded cardinals, as Rome imagines Francis' papacy is being presented as a failure. He described the movement as being driven by “low-level helpers” trying to change where the ship is headed for the Church.
Social Media Madness Versus Actual Santa Martha Politics
When news broke regarding the death of Pope Francis, social media was awash with posts from traditionalist supporters rallying to put their preferred papable candidates. Ian Miles Cheong, a far right influencer, called forward Cardinal Sarah as a possible next sovereign pontiff describing him as “conservative, pro-life, anti woke." Those social media pushes do not seem to bear any weight on the cardinals expected to vote in the next conclave.
During this critical stage for the Catholic Church, the balance of the issue which College of Cardinals will choose seems to rest on the delicate scales of line of continuity, reform, as well as tradition. Regardless whether the new pope takes a conservative approach or stays closer to the middle, the direction global Catholicism takes is decided.
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