Who will be the next pope? Your views, please.

Pope Francis at 83 spent 7 tireless years to promote a reform that the vast majority of cardinals approved on his election in 2013. Still much remains to be done, and the years humanly speaking are not enough.

Who will inherit the world's most powerful religious position after Francis either retires or dies? He himself said several times he would rather retire and would not wait until the end of his earthly days.


The opposition from the far right is tremendous, with handful of cardinals and bishops blasting powerful articles online to defend the old status quo. Archbishop Vigano the former ambassador to the US spares no effort to paint in black not only any idea of a reform but also the already achieved non-medieval status quo that according to his views is a transgression from the tradition.

On the other side, the German bishops who seem to be the champions of the reform, gather for their 2 year synodal path where in sessions they will decide on questions such as married priests, homosexuals, role of women in Church with possible deaconate, role of the laity. They are branded by the conservatives as already being "heretics" although no formal decisions are made so far. The pope on contrary warned the conservatives that he is not afraid of a Schism, as a result of their unending attacks on the reform.

So...with the clock ticking literally, we are infront of several options for the next successor of apostle Peter, who appears to be one of the most powerful men on earth, and not only in a religious perspective.

1. Will there be a more liberal cardinal elected as the next pope, such as one of the German reformers, or Latin American who will surpass the current pace of reform?

2. Will there be a more conservative one, such as cardinal Sarah who currently serves in the Vatican liturgical office and demands things go back at least in the holy mass, and who enjoys vast support among the US conservatives?

3. Will there be a cardinal from a populist Catholic country such as Philippines (where the catholicism is rather a national pride and not so much a religious thing, as it were in Poland during the election of John Paul II), who will pay not so much attention to the division conservatives - liberals rather pursue an agenda more fit for the third world?

4. Will there be a Vatican insider, such as the secretary of state cardinal Parolin, who will assure Francis-2 term, and we will see the current slow reform prolonged for the next one-two decades, given his younger age?

5. Or will the unthinkable happen, the election of a non-cardinal for a first time for many centuries? (there were historical precedents though). In that case, everything is possible, because we cannot judge for a person we do not know, unlike the current front-runner cardinals who are relatively well known.

What are your views?

(Please, keep your posts in formal respect to the Catholic Church's 1.3 bln people, with appropriate non-vulgar language, even if you condemn many faults such as the pedophilia. The current thread is not about the pedophilia that is criticized by all of the above parties regardless of the division between themselves. Thank you!)

None of the above.

There will be no new pope.

Francis is the last pope according to the prophecies of Malachy.

www.catholic-pages.com...&ved=2ahUKEwiu4LDsj8jqAhXHu54KHR87ChQQFjADegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw2XdDXhIxwWYipZ8JpfpsN1&cshid=15945711467 59

I hope one that is not a communist/socialist. The Vatican has been infiltrated by communists for years, now they have one at the top.

originally posted by: panoz77
I hope one that is not a communist/socialist. The Vatican has been infiltrated by communists for years, now they have one at the top.

so you vote for cardinal Sarah, so to speak?

a reply to: Stevenmonet

that is a possibility...what do you think will happen after the last pope then?

a reply to: 2012newstart
You won't find much sympathy or respect for the Vatican on ATS, but that aside, I really feel it's time for Catholic church to come into the 21st century and elect a female as the next Pope. Just imagine the possibilities...

some grey-haired Jesuit Cardinal .... also from a rarified area, like either New World/ Russia/ Middle East

the old world, heritage lands of an Archaic Apostolic hierarchy is gone.... God is of a high tech culture, time travelers, et al

a reply to: Klassified

Trans too? Ha

Nope. Their sacred texts put men on top and I can’t see why they would change that.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Klassified

Trans too? Ha

Nope. Their sacred texts put men on top and I can’t see why they would change that.

Ooooh Trans...I didn't think of that.

I readacted the "black" part to avoid racial misgivings.

a reply to: 2012newstart

I hope there won't be a next one.

The Catholic Church is no longer a Christian organization and needs to be left in the dustbin of history.

Hopefully all the pedophilia and political corruption that has been supported by the Poops will be it's downfall.

a reply to: Klassified

They should let the new pope be muslim as well for equality reasons.

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: 2012newstart
You won't find much sympathy or respect for the Vatican on ATS, but that aside, I really feel it's time for Catholic church to come into the 21st century and elect a female as the next Pope. Just imagine the possibilities...

Women are not ordained and will never be ordained.
This is an unchangeable law of the church.
There will never be a female deacon or priest and there will not be a female pope.

There are two kinds of laws within the church -
- The laws based upon the commands and life of Jesus
- The laws based upon the suggestions of the followers of Jesus.

Example - Jesus ordained only men to the priesthood and therefore only men can be priests.
Unchangeable law based upon the commands and life of Jesus.

Example - Priests are not married but can be if allowed by the Vatican.
Changeable law based upon the needs of the church, and it comes from Jesus picking both
married and unmarried men to be priests, and based upon the teaching in the bible that
it is better to remain unmarried in order to serve God without distraction. (Corinthians).
That doesn't come from Jesus, but it's a suggestion in scripture from his followers.
To be a pope there are only two requirements - be a male and be baptised Catholic.


Women can not and will not ever be Catholic priests, nor be the pope.

As for the next pope. I don't think there will be one.

originally posted by: Brotherman
a reply to: Klassified

They should let the new pope be muslim as well for equality reasons.

I think you understood what I was getting at originally. It was a dig on the church, albeit a subtle one, but I was concerned it would be taken the wrong way.

I hope that this current global situation will help people see that the abrahamic traditions are just horrific constructs of control. I mean...how could anything so blatantly evil be 'good?' Death-cults worshiping a bloodgod mythology. It's absolutely horrific.

a reply to: 2012newstart

originally posted by: 2012newstart
Pope Francis at 83 spent 7 tireless years to promote a reform that the vast majority of cardinals approved on his election in 2013. Still much remains to be done, and the years humanly speaking are not enough.

Hopefully he will be unable to continue to implement his nefarious plans upon the Roman Catholic Church.
He has done a lot of damage. He is not a friend to the Western Catholics nor to the Western nations.
He is full of hate and arrogance. His disdain for America and Americans is alarming.
He is seeped in South American anti-americanism.
His politics over ride his priesthood and priestly duties.

The cardinals have had to take him to the woodshed more than once over his theological statements.

He was elected, not because the cardinals approved of his reform plan, but only because of the push to elect someone from a different part of the world. So they picked Francis because he is actually an Italian who was living in South America. His heritage is Italian and he speaks fluent Italian and lived an Italian life style in South America.

He is not my pope. As long as Pope Benedict breathes, he is the pope

I miss SPJPII.

originally posted by: Brotherman
a reply to: Klassified

They should let the new pope be muslim as well for equality reasons.

Islam is one of the religions that are worse than the Catholic Church.

a reply to: FlyersFan
Long time no see FF. Good to see you posting again!

I'm aware of the churches rules, which is why I suggested it. Misogyny runs deep in the Catholic church, and racism too it seems, since there's never been a black pope (that I know of), though there have been a few black cardinals qualified for the job.

I'll show myself out of the thread.

a reply to: Klassified

I did, don't mind my sarcasm its a bad habit.

originally posted by: St Udio
some grey-haired Jesuit Cardinal .... also from a rarified area, like either New World/ Russia/ Middle East

the old world, heritage lands of an Archaic Apostolic hierarchy is gone.... God is of a high tech culture, time travelers, et al

well, that is exactly Bergoglio