Who Is Cardinal Raymond Burke, Donald Trump's Preferred Candidate To Succeed Pope Francis
As Catholics around the world mourn the death of Pope Francis, Vatican authorities are also kicking off the process to replace him.
After holding a period of mourning, the Vatican will hold the millenary process known as the Conclave, where Cardinals will decide who the next pontiff will be.
While all baptized Catholics are eligible, only cardinals have been elected since the 14th century, more precisely 1378. The winner has to get at least two-thirds of the votes from cardinals under 80 years of age, which are those eligible to vote.
There are less than ten cardinals believed to be in the shortlist to succeed Pope Francis, two of them from the U.S. But one of them, Raymond Burke, appears to be the one President Donald Trump prefers.
Aged 76, Burke is highly conservative and has been highly critical of the late pope. A potential election would mark a sharp turn in the direction of the church, as he has taken a hard stance against the softening of policies toward LGBTQ people, divorce and the role of women in church.
Burke has openly supported Trump. When Francis criticized the president's initiative to build the wall at the southern border, Burke said the Republican was "defending the values of the church."
Pope Francis did not appear to hold Burke in high esteem either. When he was appointed, he took Burke off the Congregation of Bishops, the body that helps the Pope elect new bishops. He also removed Burke from the Supreme Tribunal, claiming that the move had already been planned and he was not punishing him.
Francis also cancelled Burke's rent-free agreement for his apartment in Rome and his €5,000 monthly salary, although he framed it as a reassignment of privileges. The cardinal said he thought it was clear "the pope doesn't want me in any leadership position," although clarified that he "never had the impression that he thinks I'm his enemy."
Originally published on Latin Times
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