
The Next Pope Should Heal Divides in the Catholic Church
"It looks like Pope Francis brought us together."
Father James Martin said these words to me as we embraced at Pope Francis' funeral in Rome on April 26. The priest is surely the most famous Catholic advocate for a more inclusive approach to LGBT people. As a traditional Catholic, I don't share many of his views. But I agree—and am grateful—that Pope Francis did indeed bring us together, not only at the funeral but over the past several years.
Deepening unity among Catholics will be the greatest challenge facing the next pope, who will be elected as early as Wednesday. But to ensure that happens, the cardinals who will choose Pope Francis' successor also need to acknowledge the many divisions that need to be healed.
Pope Francis' legacy is certainly one of striving for unity. He beautifully called on every Catholic to come together in serving the poor, the vulnerable, the outcast—everyone who he rightly described as being on "the peripheries." This included reaching out to LGBT people.
While many Catholics disagreed about what exactly the pope meant, there's no doubt that he wanted us all to show more compassion and understanding. For me, this meant hosting regular group dinners with Catholic priests and leaders who don't agree with the Church's teaching on many tough topics. These dinners, which Father Martin helped me organize and more than 140 Catholics have participated in since 2023, have forged lasting friendships and helped us find our shared love of Jesus Christ.
I wouldn't have realized this without Pope Francis' relentless emphasis on unity. But the unfortunate truth is that the late Holy Father also let some divisions deepen on his watch. I think of his restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass. While I don't go to such a Mass, those who do are often highly devoted Catholics. Pope Francis also chastised popular Catholic group Opus Dei. Again, I'm not a member, but I know many priests and parishioners who are. Members of Opus Dei love the Church, and tend to be more theologically traditional. Targeting them sows division where it doesn't need to exist.
Healing those wounds will fall to the next pope. But the more immediate need is for the cardinals who elect the pope to face the reality of what the Church needs. It's not merely a message of unity. It's the kind of unity that comes from bridging divides.
The next pope will be chosen by about 133 cardinals—essentially senior priests selected by the pope to lead the Church around the world—meeting in secret starting Wednesday.
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MAY 06: A view of the Sistine Chapel on the eve of the conclave on May 06, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican.
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MAY 06: A view of the Sistine Chapel on the eve of the conclave on May 06, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican.
Vatican Media viaMany of them are from the Church's "progressive" wing, favoring broad changes to the Church's approach to human sexuality and other hot-button issues. Many others are theologically traditional, emphasizing continuity with 2,000 years of Church doctrine.
And still more can be described as "moderate." Their main concern is neither keeping the Church "relevant" nor "traditional," but stable. They don't want to rock the boat.
The challenge is that none of these voting blocs have a majority, which means that in all likelihood, the next pope will be a consensus candidate. That probably means someone who can appease enough of the traditionalists, enough of the progressives, and a solid majority of the moderates.
That lends itself to choosing someone who will heal divisions instead of widening them. It could be someone who may deepen outreach to marginalized people—a core part of the Church's mission—while restoring trust with traditional Catholics—a core part of the Church's membership in the pews.
Who fits the bill? It's hard to say. My own preference would be for someone like Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő—a more-or-less theological traditionalist who's also pragmatic and moderate in his rhetoric and pastoral style. But it's eminently possible that a relatively unknown candidate strikes the right balance. Singapore Cardinal William Goh and South Korean Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-Sik come to mind.
Only God knows who the cardinals will choose. But that still leaves the cardinals with the difficult task of discerning God's will and the true state of the Church. They should absolutely choose someone who continues to bring Catholics together, echoing the words that Father James Martin said to me at Pope Francis's funeral. But they should also choose someone who understands that true unity requires healing divisions, not making them deeper by punishing disfavored groups within the Church.
It won't be easy. But more than 1.4 billion Catholics across the world are counting on the cardinals to get this right.
Tim Busch is founder of the Napa Institute, a Catholic organization.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump Is Officially Spiting Pride Month
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump has no intention to officially recognize Pride Month. 'There are no plans for a proclamation for the month of June,' Leavitt said at a White House press briefing Tuesday. 'But I can tell you this president is very proud to be a president for all Americans, regardless of race, religion or creed.' The reporter who asked the question, MAGA podcaster Alec Lace, suggested that the White House could name June 'Nuclear Family Month' rather than honoring LGBTQ Americans. President Bill Clinton first named June 'Gay and Lesbian Pride Month' in 1999 in a tribute to the Stonewall riots of June 1969, which helped launch the gay rights movement. Pride Month was expanded to include bisexual and transgender Americans under President Barack Obama. Trump declined to officially proclaim June Pride Month during his first presidency—although in 2019, he tweeted in support of Pride Month. 'As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation, let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation,' Trump said. 'My Administration has launched a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality and invite all nations to join us in this effort!' However, since returning to office, Trump has made what he calls 'gender ideology' among his top priorities. Trump has eradicated DEI programs from the federal government, sought to prevent trans women from competing in women's sports and also to eliminate trans people from the military. Many corporations and brands are planning to scale back their celebrations of Pride Month in this new political climate, according to CNN. Nevertheless, many LGBTQ Americans are still boisterously celebrating June. Pride Month events in Washington, D.C.—including a parade and a street festival—are expected to draw hundreds of thousands of attendees, according to ABC News.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Opinion: Another unanimous win for religious freedom at the Supreme Court
Is religious freedom a wedge issue? The unanimous agreement between all the justices in a decision just issued by the U.S. Supreme Court suggests the answer is no. The Court's example provides an important corrective to the framing of some commentators and advocacy groups. The facts of this case initially seem unreal — the state of Wisconsin determined that the Catholic Charities Bureau was not 'religious enough' to qualify for a tax exemption available to religious organizations in the state. Piling on, the Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed because Catholic Charities did not proselytize or exclude non-Catholics from its services. Thankfully, the U.S. Supreme Court has now corrected that decision and ruled unanimously that the state cannot prefer one religion over another on the grounds of the church's teachings. The Court's opinion was written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She points out, 'A law that differentiates between religions along theological lines is textbook denominational discrimination.' The state had denied the exemption to Catholic Charities simply because the group did not follow the practice of some other churches, which proselytize while providing social services and serve only fellow members. Since doing either of these things would violate the beliefs of the organization, it was treated differently from other religious organizations solely because of this belief. Justice Sotomayor's opinion summarizes the legal standard: 'When the government distinguishes among religions based on theological differences in their provision of services, it imposes a denominational preference that must satisfy the highest level of judicial scrutiny.' The Court rightly concludes that Wisconsin had no compelling reason that would justify this disparate treatment. Justice Clarence Thomas joined the Court's opinion and wrote separately to note another problem with the Wisconsin court's opinion. The Court treated Catholic Charities as separate from the local Catholic Diocese. This is contrary to the 'religious perspective' of the church, which is owed deference by the state. Ignoring the church's beliefs violated the First Amendment guarantee 'to religious institutions [of] broad autonomy to conduct their internal affairs and govern themselves.' Religion and claims for religious freedom are sometimes characterized as divisive issues. When a presidential commission on religious freedom was recently created, some commentators charged that this would undermine the separation of church and state. The Supreme Court's decision demonstrates that religious freedom issues need not be divisive. The clear constitutional protection of the right of people of faith to live and of religious organizations to operate consistent with their beliefs is right there in the text of the First Amendment. This is a threshold principle that no government can ignore without endangering the most basic liberties of its citizens. This is especially true given the fact that verbal expressions of personal faith have defined modern protections for freedom of speech, and gatherings of members of organized religion form the foundations for protections of freedom of association. State and federal lawmakers should ensure that their actions are consistent with this guarantee. Additionally, reporters, commentators, politicians and advocacy groups should take note that protecting religious freedom is typically a consensus issue for the U.S. Supreme Court, whose role is to ensure that the First Amendment guarantee is protected in legal disputes. In the 12 religious freedom cases decided since 2015, four have been unanimous and four more have garnered only one or two dissenting votes. There are, obviously, some cases where the justices don't reach consensus, but these cases should not cause us to lose sight of the strong support religious freedom claims typically receive. The Court's support for religious freedom is a bright spot in our current political climate. It demonstrates the wisdom of the Framers of the Bill of Rights in including specific religious exercise protections and vindicates one of the nation's highest aspirations: that people of faith should be free to act on their beliefs without interference or discrimination.


Fox News
10 hours ago
- Fox News
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Hillary ‘Can't Handle the Ratio'
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here's what's happening… Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was brutally mocked by critics over a "delusional" X post describing the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles as "peaceful demonstrations" while pinning blame on President Donald Trump for sowing "chaos" in southern California. "Comments off lol. She can't handle the ratio. This is what Hillary Clinton calls 'peaceful demonstrations,'" popular conservative X account Libs of TikTok posted, referring to how comments on Clinton's post were restricted to only permit ones from accounts Clinton follows on the social media platform and accompanied by footage of the destruction in LA. The message was in response to Clinton posting her first and only comment as of Tuesday morning regarding the Los Angeles riots, describing them as "peaceful demonstrations" before Trump mobilized the National Guard over the weekend…READ MORE. 'DEPRESSION CRISIS': Report gives new details on Trump assassination attempt suspect's 'descent into madness' BIG MUSIC: Trump order to stop 'exploitative ticket scalping' clears way for $1B Live Nation investment in new music venues ROADBLOCK: Federal judge rules Trump admin cannot block grants to LGBT groups ABORT DEPORT: 'Proof is in the pudding': Trump DOJ tells court it will seek dismissal of Abrego Garcia case COURT PUSHBACK: Trump admin may not deport migrant to Congo during immigration proceedings, federal judge rules 'ORCHESTRATED': Trump takes action against 'orchestrated attack' on law enforcement by deploying Marines to LA: Assemblyman RIOT CRACKDOWN: Tom Cotton pushes new crackdown on pro-immigration rioters in Los Angeles, citing ICE assaults TROOPS ON HOME SOIL: Trump mobilizes Marines: Look back at when US presidents have used active duty troops to quell domestic unrest BORDER BATTLE BOIL: Congress steps in amid 'out-of-control' Los Angeles riots as Democrats resist federal help COMMON SENSE: Fetterman calls out 'anarchy' in LA, declaring Dems forfeit 'moral high ground' by failing to decry violence SUPERCUT: WATCH: Democrats, media outlets insist L.A. anti-ICE riots are 'peaceful' despite violence, injured officers FUELING THE FIRE: California sheriff says Newsom 'encouraged' LA riots as ICE arrests violent illegal aliens 'DISAPPOINTING': Iran becoming 'much more aggressive' in nuclear talks, Trump tells Fox News 'OUTRAGEOUS': Five countries hit controversial Israeli politicians with sanctions and travel bans TERROR TAKEDOWN: Israel's navy hits Houthis in Yemen in 'unique' strike after Trump promises end to US ops KICKED OUT: Greta Thunberg deported from Israel after Gaza-bound 'selfie yacht' was seized BUDGET BATTLE: Republicans challenge 'irrelevant' budget office as it critiques Trump's 'beautiful bill' LAW AND ORDER: Hegseth defends National Guard LA deployments, says ICE agents must be protected 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH': 'Enough is enough': GOP rep calls for official probe into time it took for LAPD to help assaulted ICE officers 'DO THE RIGHT THING': GOP unveils new weapon to help slash billions in government waste as Republicans rally behind Trump's plan 'THERE IS A GAP': House Dem grills Hegseth on submarine spending plans: 'Give us the details' REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: How the House is technically done with the 'big, beautiful bill' MEMORIAL MISSTEP: NY lawmaker lambastes failed commemoration of Oct 7 attack, as Dem leadership accused of 'antisemitism' 'NOT ABOVE THE LAW': Milwaukee judge not immune from charges after allegedly helping illegal immigrant evade ICE, prosecutors say RED LINE: Blue city mayor vows 'no tolerance' for anti-ICE violence as LA riots unfold Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on