The direction of the Catholic Church in equilibrium, because the conclusion is imminent
About 133 “Church Princes” will meet on Wednesday to elect the successor of Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88.
The question is, will the new pope follow the general Argentinian route of progress, or will the Holy See reveal to more conservative traditionalists?
Francis operated the church for 12 years and appointed 80% of the cardinal voters.
The group is from five continents and is represented by about 70 countries, making it the largest and most international organization ever.
Some experts say the progressive camp will have an advantage, seeking the footsteps of the Pope, Francis and providing excitement for his supporters.
“Calm Water”
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But once the Cardinal was closed inside the Sistine Church and a series of open-ended votes began to seek a two-thirds majority, no one could predict how the vote would go.
On Sunday, pilgrims and tourists gathered outside St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, with views varying greatly.
Canadian pastor Justin Pulikunnel did not hide Francis' attempt to take the church away in a direction, seeking to return to traditional leadership.
He said: “Well, I hope I pray that the new pope will be a source of unity in the church and calm down after nearly a decade of stability and ambiguity.”
But others like 30-year-old Italian Valeria Sereni expressed their hope that the new pope would be more open in sexual, human rights and environmental issues in Francis’s spirit.
“Francis has opened a new path and must keep moving forward,” she said.
“We would be very lucky if we find someone as good as our previous one.” Agree with Australia’s 72-year-old Wayne Gosper, which suggests secular politics may influence the cardinal’s choice.
He said: “The world is turning, right? We have lost the left-wing pope.”
The conclusion begins Wednesday afternoon and may last for days, weeks or even months before the church's chimneys turn white to indicate that the new pontiff has been selected.
But on Monday, a long preparatory meeting called the ordinary congregation continued for the first time in the morning and afternoon sessions.
All the Cardinals were invited to participate in these, not only those under the age of 80 were eligible to vote in Condave, they took the opportunity to discuss the issue that would face Francis' successor.
These shouldn't be political events, but the bishops know each other, and some admit they discussed the names at meals and off the court.
“No one shouted.
“But you just want to know people and it works great,” he said in his podcast.
“Spectacular” meeting?
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“I don't apologize for the facts. It should be. I mean, we'll talk to each other. We'll talk about people who find seductive.”
“But that's different from politics because we always say that grace is based on nature, right? So we know, ultimately, that's the lighting of the Holy Spirit, and we pray to open up.”
Duran himself is one of the conservatives who may vote for the Cardinal, while Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines is the leading candidate for progressives within the church.
Italian Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from Europe, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and Secretary of State under Francis, Pietro Parolin is some of the most famous “Papabili” or potential pope.
However, more names have been discussed, and like Francis, who was chosen as Jorge Bergoglio in 2013, a surprising candidate may appear.
Vatican affairs expert Marco Politi told AFP the conference could be “the most spectacular in 50 years”.
