The world was stunned early Monday morning when Pope Francis, spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics, passed away after receiving last rites. In the immediate aftermath, all eyes have turned to Rome — and to the next man who will take up the mantle of leading the Catholic Church in one of the most pivotal moments in modern Church history.
And make no mistake: this next pope will likely take the Church in a dramatically different direction.
After more than a decade of controversial reforms and liberal policies under Pope Francis, the global community of cardinals — those who wield the power to select the next pope — appear ready for a course correction. According to Serenhedd James, editor of Britain’s Catholic Herald, “Whoever is elected will be of a centrally conservative disposition; after 12 years of Pope Francis ‘stirring things up,’ I think the cardinals will want someone who will take a different, calmer approach.”
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Francis’ papacy was marked by a number of highly divisive moves, including his softening stance on same-sex couples and his attack on the traditional Latin Mass — long cherished by traditionalists. For many within the Church, this has created a deep ideological rift that now must be healed. And that responsibility will fall to his successor.
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