This is the week in which the Roman Catholic cardinals meet in Conclave in Rome to elect a new Pope. How does the Conclave work and how has it functioned through history? Read an article from the Church Times about the process involved in selecting a new pope, here.
CNN reports on divisions among the cardinals following the very clear direction in which Francis’ papacy led the church. The article references his focus on a “poor church for the poor,” and how he “opened discussions on topics that were once viewed off limits”, such as the role of women in the church and how the church should welcome LGBTQ Catholics and remarried divorcees, as well as his ongoing “critiques of economic injustice and calls to protect the environment”. But he faced significant resistance from what CNN calls “small, but noisy, conservative Catholic groups” plus some “indifference and silent resistance from bishops in the hierarchy.”
As the cardinals gather in Rome those resistant and indifferent groups will have a chance to make their voice heard in the appointment of his successor. The CNN article identifies what it calls a fault line among the cardinals: “Some cardinals want the next pope to follow firmly in Francis’ footsteps and focus on the “diversity” of the universal church, whose axis has shifted away from Europe and the West. Others are calling on the next pope to emphasize “unity” – code for a more predictable, steady-as-she-goes approach.”
This is an in-depth and well thought-out article by Christopher Lamb, CNN Vatican correspondent, and well worth a read. You can find it here.
As ever the European Correspondent has the most amazing graphic, this time to illustrate the extent of liberalism among the top 10 contenders to become pope. Read their article and see their graphic here.
So why does this matter for us Anglican/Episcopalian Christians? The truth is that, of all the major denominations around the world, the one that we are closest to, the one from whom we split at the Reformation, is the Roman Catholic Church. Despite some differences between us that can appear significant, our closeness in terms of liturgy, our understanding of Christ and the sacraments, and our understanding priesthood bind us and the Roman Catholic Church closely together. Areas where we disagree tend to relate more to church organisation and structure than to core theology. But it was in organisational and structural issues, such as the role of women, LGBTQ, divorcees, etc that Pope Francis was a leading light for liberalism, which would have brought our two churches much closer together.
The coming of a Conclave also breeds humour. See a short YouTube video entitled, “What if they elected an Irish Pope?”
But more importantly, let us pray, in a prayer from mycatholic.life
Heavenly Father,
You entrusted the care of Your Church on earth to Pope Francis,
and now You have called him to Yourself.
We entrust his soul to Your boundless mercy.
For his lifelong service, we thank You.
For his care for the poor and marginalized, we thank You.
For his witness to simplicity, we thank You.
In Your mercy, cleanse him of all sin.
Purify him and draw him into the light of Your presence.
Grant him the vision of Your Eternal Essence,
into which we all long to be drawn.
Father Most Holy,
Our God and King,
Protect Your Church in this time of transition.
Guide the Cardinals in their sacred duty.
Grant them Wisdom and Courage,
Hope and Charity,
and the Faith they need to discern Your Holy Will.
Creator of all that was, is, and is to come—
You alone know the heart of the one You have chosen
as the next successor to Saint Peter.
Reveal Your will to the College of Cardinals.
Open their hearts to Your inspirations.
Open our hearts to receive, with faith and obedience,
the one whom You will raise up to sit on the Chair of Saint Peter.
May he be a man of deepest compassion,
a man of profound faith and hope,
a man whose charity shines forth,
permeating the darkness of this world with the light of Christ.
You are God Most High,
the God of the living and the dead,
the Great I AM,
the Alpha and the Omega,
Eternal Being and Source of all that is.
May Your holy will be done,
now and forever. Amen. Alleluia.