Who will be the next pope?

[Anonymous]

I have a strong feeling, and it may just be the pastrami I ate recently, but I think the next pope will be from Africa.

There certainly are good candidates from Africa, or even Brazil.

There is a black madonna, why not a bro’ pope?

[Anonymous]

I don't think the next Pope will be from Africa. I'd be really surprised if the next Pope is from Africa. I'll wager you an anonymous imaginary $1 that the next Pope is not from Africa.

[Anonymous]

Possibly the Filipino Cardinal

[Anonymous]

I doubt the next Pope will be from Africa. Any candidate from Africa would be an extremely conservative Pope and PF’s appointments to the College of Cardinals will block that. My guess is it will be a centrist or right of center Pope.

That said, today’s seminarians are extremely conservative and they will be tomorrow’s priests, bishops and cardinals. An African cardinal will likely happen this century. But not quite yet.

[Anonymous]

I'm voting for Trump!

[Anonymous]

Pierbattista Pizzaballa – for the name alone.

[Anonymous]

Francis appointed 80% of the College of Cardinals. So here is the real question: if they choose a Pope who is like Francis with respect to the teachings of Jesus, will Trump be able to prevent himself from complaining about it on Truth Social?

And when he cannot, how will this affect his relationship with Catholic voters?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Francis appointed 80% of the College of Cardinals. So here is the real question: if they choose a Pope who is like Francis with respect to the teachings of Jesus, will Trump be able to prevent himself from complaining about it on Truth Social?

And when he cannot, how will this affect his relationship with Catholic voters?

The Catholics that are remaining in the church are more conservative (at least in the US and in parts of Latin America). This is especially true if the young families. They are generally not as aligned with much of the PF agenda.

I wonder if the College of Cardinals will be thinking about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I doubt the next Pope will be from Africa. Any candidate from Africa would be an extremely conservative Pope and PF’s appointments to the College of Cardinals will block that. My guess is it will be a centrist or right of center Pope.

That said, today’s seminarians are extremely conservative and they will be tomorrow’s priests, bishops and cardinals. An African cardinal will likely happen this century. But not quite yet.

Agree with this. I think the most likely candidates are Pizzaballa or Parolin. Maybe one of the French cardinals. I think it would be really cool if it was Tagle (from Manila) plus I think this would be the smartest choice from the perspective of advancing the church, because an Asian pope could be incredibly beneficial for the church's prospects in Asia. But I think it's still unlikely.

Agree the current African cardinals are simply too conservative and also I think it is too hard, presently, for a cardinal to both represent the people of Africa on key issues like homosexuality and also unify the rest of the church. African congregations require their clergy to be very conservative, whereas the pope has to be more measured in how he speaks on these issues. The most likely candidates will, like Francis, speak of efforts to unify, a desire to be a "bridge" while also taking no firm position on these matters or actually changing church doctrine. It's a delicate political position and the African cardinals do not have the freedom to be delicate about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Francis appointed 80% of the College of Cardinals. So here is the real question: if they choose a Pope who is like Francis with respect to the teachings of Jesus, will Trump be able to prevent himself from complaining about it on Truth Social?

And when he cannot, how will this affect his relationship with Catholic voters?

The Catholics that are remaining in the church are more conservative (at least in the US and in parts of Latin America). This is especially true if the young families. They are generally not as aligned with much of the PF agenda.

I wonder if the College of Cardinals will be thinking about that.

I don't think so. They are thinking about a leader for the global church, not the failed policy of only welcoming reactionary, backwards Catholics (the 30%) and then ignoring the pastoral needs of the normal people (the other 70%) and their possible financial contributions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm voting for Trump!

I have personally been waiting for him to appoint himself Pope. Seems like an obvious move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Francis appointed 80% of the College of Cardinals. So here is the real question: if they choose a Pope who is like Francis with respect to the teachings of Jesus, will Trump be able to prevent himself from complaining about it on Truth Social?

And when he cannot, how will this affect his relationship with Catholic voters?

The Catholics that are remaining in the church are more conservative (at least in the US and in parts of Latin America). This is especially true if the young families. They are generally not as aligned with much of the PF agenda.

I wonder if the College of Cardinals will be thinking about that.

I don't think so. They are thinking about a leader for the global church, not the failed policy of only welcoming reactionary, backwards Catholics (the 30%) and then ignoring the pastoral needs of the normal people (the other 70%) and their possible financial contributions.

+1 they want to retain both cultural Catholics in Europe and the Americas (many of whom do in fact lean progressive) and support growth of the church throughout the rest of the world. They know the die hard conservatives are unlikely to leave the church -- there has been a hard core conservative wing in the church for centuries, and the most successful popes have appeased this group while always reaching outward. Going with a hard right pope is a good way to shrink the church. No one wants that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Francis appointed 80% of the College of Cardinals. So here is the real question: if they choose a Pope who is like Francis with respect to the teachings of Jesus, will Trump be able to prevent himself from complaining about it on Truth Social?

And when he cannot, how will this affect his relationship with Catholic voters?

Eh, the Catholics who support Trump didn't like Francis anyway, and there are plenty of American Catholics who didn't support Trump. My MIL is from a very conservative part of PA and her parish is actually pretty purple (she's a lifelong Dem). My mom is no longer a practicing Catholic but she's in the same vein -- a bleeding heart who has mostly voted for Democrats her entire life. They both hold their nose on abortion because in every other way, progressive ideology is more in line with the church's teachings around charity, helping the sick and the poor, etc.

So yeah Trump will probably weigh in but I don't think it will have any electoral significance unless he crosses some line, like insulting Catholics as a group. If he just insults the new pope, everyone will be mad but no one's politics will change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Francis appointed 80% of the College of Cardinals. So here is the real question: if they choose a Pope who is like Francis with respect to the teachings of Jesus, will Trump be able to prevent himself from complaining about it on Truth Social?

And when he cannot, how will this affect his relationship with Catholic voters?

The Catholics that are remaining in the church are more conservative (at least in the US and in parts of Latin America). This is especially true if the young families. They are generally not as aligned with much of the PF agenda.

I wonder if the College of Cardinals will be thinking about that.

I don't think so. They are thinking about a leader for the global church, not the failed policy of only welcoming reactionary, backwards Catholics (the 30%) and then ignoring the pastoral needs of the normal people (the other 70%) and their possible financial contributions.

It isn’t that straightforward. The reactionary, backwards Catholics you disparage are the ones remaining in the pews, producing children, producing seminarians, and tithing. The you g families almost by definition are “reactionary, backwards” Catholics.

The seminarians worldwide are much more conservative than in times past (I have my theories).

The converts are overwhelmingly conservative. The African church is extremely conservative. Those remaining active in Latin America are very conservative. Alienate all those people at your own risk.

The College of Cardinals would be extremely foolish to not at least give thought to the issue.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/us/catholi...vative-politics.html

[Anonymous]

What about the 70% that have been driven away? Why should the Church only be for RWNJ? No business can survive by ignoring 70% of its customers. What about the majority that those short-sighted, selfish bigots also known as JPII and Benedict ignored?

FYI The far right is putting such a stranglehold on the Church IT WILL NOT SURVIVE IT. So much money is being wasted on christo-nationalist nonsense and siphoned away on real needs of the Church - leaking roofs, broken boilers, etc. The far right is starving money from Church infrastructure. Once the far right is done weaponizing the Church, there will be nothing left. But who am I to say?...I only worked for the Church and know of what I speak.