The next Pope must be a consensus figure, capable of “rebuilt” the different currents with more collegiality after a pontificate marked by deep divisions in the Catholic churchthe Italian Vaticanist Marco Politi anticipated in an interview with AFP.
Question: 80% of cardinals have never lived a conclave and know little. Can this be an additional difficulty?
ANSWER: This is the most spectacular conclave of the last 50 years. It is the first 50 years in which there is a strong sense of fracture in the church.
That is his main challenge.
Of course, a huge number of cardinals comes from the most remote places in the world and a large part of them does not know others, nor the mechanisms of the central government of the Church. Because they may be good priests in their region (…) but they don’t have the experience of the central machine. Many have not gone through Rome and also often have difficulty with the language because Italian is no longer the vehicular language. All this makes this conclave difficult.
Q: With a Pope who creates consensus, who harmonizes the different trends, is there immobilism at the next pontificate?
A: There is a risk, but it can be said ironically that there will be a choice between a Pope that stops and one that advances slowly. Because It is known that there will be not a Francisco II.
Francisco was very impulsive and changed things through gestures, sudden words, although meditated.
Now, precisely because there is this idea of gathering everyone again, more careful, more collegiate management is needed. Francisco worked little as a team with the offices of the Curia, there are cardinals who criticize him because he did not summon the Cardenalicio school.
Q: What do you think are the three main challenges of the next pontificate?
A: In addition to abuse, which is a recurring theme, there are three important challenges: one is to restore a sense of a collegiate work system, in which the Pope also takes into account the dicasteries of the curia.
Secondly, more collegiality with the cardinals, who represent the universal church.
Then there is the question of whether Francisco’s synodal project continues or not. When Francisco was in the hospital, he signed a three -year program with three points: to promote the role of women, accountability and advisory bodies. This is the challenge, will your successor continue this program or discard it?
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Q: What features will prevail in the Pope’s choice? Personality, age, nationality, closeness with Francisco?
A: One of the key points to address is the ability to revitalize the Church. None of the last three popes-Juan Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francisco-has managed to overcome the church crisis in its diocesan and parochial structures.
Vocations have continued to decrease (…) and that is a cause for concern.
The next Pope must be able to rebuild, to give a new impulse to religious life at the base, to have an international presence, such as Francisco, and to talk to people. That is, have charisma. Ratzinger [Benedicto XVI]for example, I didn’t have it, unlike Wojtyla [Juan Pablo II] and Bergoglio [Francisco].
Q: Can the next Pope also be a total surprise?
A: It is an option. It seems strange these days that a good conservative has not emerged as a true candidate. Ultraconservatives cannot decide the next Pope, they need to ally with the center. They need a conservative with a human face, sympathetic, who may communicate and then stop on the diaconate, but gently. That figure has not yet emerged.
Q: The cardinals talk about a short conclave …
A: It is a paradox, but shows a desire not to show divisions.
