Abuse scandals, disunity and diplomacy the new pope's challenges
An artist painting a mural of Pope Francis in the Villa 21-24 neighborhood is seen during a pilgrimage in Buenos Aires on April 26. PHOTO: AFP
Vatican City - Pope Francis' successor will face a litany of challenges, from the place of women and the LGBTQ community in the Catholic Church, to diplomatic challenges in a conflict-riven world.
Unity
Uniting a divided church will be one of the main tasks facing the new pope.
During his 12-year-long papacy, Francis often came under fire for his more liberal policies, such as welcoming migrants and restricting the use of the Latin Mass.
Traditionalists in the United States and Africa in particular were angered by his efforts to give lay people and women a greater role in the Church, and his decision to open the door to blessing same-sex unions.
His successor will have to make peace between the Church's conservative and liberal fringes.
'A pope always brings people together,' Luxembourger Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich told reporters.
'That unity in the church will be very important. But you don't unify the church by going backwards.'
Sexual abuse
Though he brought in a series of measures to combat clerical sexual abuse, victims associations said they were disappointed with Francis, accusing him of not doing enough.
The issue remains a major challenge for the Church, with the scandals showing no sign of abating.
And it will not be an easy solve. In many African and Asian countries, the subject remains taboo. Even in Europe, Italy has yet to launch an independent investigation into abuse allegations.
Diplomacy
As well as being leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, the pope is the head of the Vatican state.
His voice carries weight in a world wracked by numerous conflicts, from Ukraine to Gaza and Sudan.
The pope's opinions have consequences.
Francis at various times angered Israel, Ukraine, Russia and the United States with his comments on conflicts and immigrants.
The rise of populist politics, the development of artificial intelligence and the climate emergency are all issues that will demand the pope's attention, as will immigration.
And then there are the delicate relations with China, not least the thorny issue of appointing Catholic bishops in the country.
Women's place
The place of women in the Church will also continue to spark debate. Francis appointed women to key positions, including in January naming the first woman prefect of a Curia department.
Hopes that a woman would be named a deacon were dashed, however, at the last world assembly.
'The role of women certainly depends to a large degree on the cultures the churches belong to and there are many differences, not just from one continent to another, but from one nation to another,' Mr Roberto Regoli, a priest and professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, told AFP.
'So it's more a cultural than theological question.'
Fewer priests
Francis' successor will lead Catholics living in communities around the world.
The number of faithful is growing in the southern hemisphere but it is declining in Europe.
And the total number of priests spreading the faith is falling – albeit slowly.
Between 2022 and 2023, the number of priests around the world dropped by 0.2 per cent to 406,996, despite an uptick in Africa and Asia.
Though church attendance is different from one region to another, the rise of evangelical churches, particularly in Africa, is creating stiff competition.
Style
Francis ripped up the rulebook, rejecting luxury, and was at his happiest when mingling with his flock.
He refused to live in the papal apartments, opting for rooms at a Vatican guest house instead.
He would make his own phone calls, visit the optician, write his own replies to letters, and accept mate – the traditional herbal infusion from South America – offered to him by pilgrims.
But he also faced criticism for an authoritarian management style as well as his tendency to speak his mind and go off script, sometimes embarrassing or dismaying aides with his public statements.
While the next pope will hope to show he too is a people's pontiff, the Vatican would doubtless appreciate a Catholic leader better at sticking to the official line. AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Trump to keep Starlink at White House despite break with Elon Musk
Mr Trump (left) said on June 9 he would not have a problem if Mr Musk (right) called. PHOTO: AFP Trump to keep Starlink at White House despite break with Elon Musk WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on June 9 he has no plans to discontinue Starlink at the White House but might move his Tesla off-site, following his announcement over the weekend that his relationship with Mr Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of both companies, was over. 'I may move the Tesla around a little bit, but I don't think we'll be doing that with Starlink. It's a good service,' Mr Trump told reporters, referring to the satellite internet company that provides high-speed broadband access. It is a unit of Mr Musk's SpaceX. In March, Mr Trump said he had purchased a red Tesla Model S from Mr Musk, Mr Trump's then-close ally. Last week, a White House official said Mr Trump might get rid of it after a public feud erupted between the two men. The Tesla was seen parked at the White House over the weekend. On June 7, Mr Trump said he had no intention of repairing ties with Mr Musk. On June 9, the president said he would not have a problem if Mr Musk called. 'We had a good relationship, and I just wish him well,' Mr Trump said. Mr Musk responded with a heart emoji to a video on X showing Mr Trump's remarks. Last week, Mr Trump and Mr Musk exchanged a flurry of insults after the world's richest man denounced Mr Trump's tax and spending Bill as a 'disgusting abomination.' Mr Musk's opposition has complicated Republican efforts to pass Mr Trump's 'big, beautiful Bill' in Congress, where the party holds slim majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate. Since the dispute began last on June 5, Mr Musk has deleted some social media posts critical of Mr Trump, including one signalling support for impeaching the president. Sources close to Mr Musk said his anger has started to subside, and they believe he may want to repair his relationship with Mr Trump. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Military aids evacuations as Canada wildfires expand eastward
The fires are currently raging in the province's sparsely populated north-west corner and have so far not threatened the densely inhabited south. PHOTO: REUTERS OTTAWA - Canada's military used aircraft to help evacuate members of a remote Indigenous group on June 9 as wildfires spread eastward from the Prairies region and into the country's most populous province Ontario. An airlift of Sandy Lake First Nation members started over the weekend as a 156,346ha blaze overwhelmed firefighting efforts and brushed up against the remote Indigenous community. Wildfires in recent weeks have swept across densely wooded parts of the vast Prairies forcing more than 30,000 people in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to flee their homes. The latter two provinces have declared states of emergency. The evacuation of Sandy Lake, an isolated community about 600km north of Thunder Bay with no road access, is the largest mobilisation so far in Ontario. Currently the fires are raging in the province's sparsely populated north-west corner and have so far not threatened the densely inhabited south, which includes Toronto and its suburbs – home to some seven million people. As of midday on June 9, military Hercules aircraft had evacuated one third of the town's 3,000 residents, Sandy Lake First Nation Chief Delores Kakegamic told AFP by telephone. It has been slow-going, she said, as these bulky but nimble aircraft were only able take off half-full with passengers because of the community's short airstrip. 'Rapidly deteriorated' conditions 'We're prepared to mobilise every resource needed to keep Canadians safe,' Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on X. He announced the military deployment late on June 8 after meeting with senior officials in Ottawa. The military said in an email to AFP, 'wildfire conditions in northern Ontario have rapidly deteriorated.' 'Over the last 24 hours, (the Sandy Lake) wildfire has advanced from 40km to just 2km from the community, placing the population at immediate risk,' it added. On June 7, 19 construction workers took refuge for several hours in a shipping container in the community as the skies turned orange and the air filled with smoke. 'A helicopter tried to go pick them up but the smoke was so bad they couldn't land,' Ms Kakegamic said. Moments before the shipping container itself caught on fire, they made a run for it. 'It was a narrow escape,' Ms Kakegamic said. 'They've been traumatised, for sure.' There were 227 active wildfires across Canada as of June 8, including about 20 in Ontario. Some 3.1 million hectares of forests have been scorched in 2025 and hundreds of buildings destroyed in several small towns. Images shared by wildfire agencies showed blackened and devastated landscapes left behind fast-moving walls of fire and big plumes of smoke. The fires have downgraded air quality in parts of Canada and the United States. Smoke, which can be hazardous to health, has also reached as far away as Europe. Climate change has increased the impact of extreme weather events in Canada, which is still recovering from the summer of 2023 when 15 million hectares of forests burned. Most of the ongoing fires in 2025 have been triggered by human activity – often accidental – such as poorly extinguished campfires or the passing of vehicles in extremely dry areas. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Satellite images show damaged North Korean warship moved to a port for repair, report says
The new North Korean warship undergoing repairs at a dry dock facility in Rajin. PHOTO: AFP SEOUL - A North Korean stricken destroyer that partially capsized during a botched launching ceremony has arrived at a ship repair factory, a Washington think tank said. The destroyer that suffered a failed launch was moved to the graving dock at Rajin Dockyard, also known as Rajin Ship Repair Factory, by June 8, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said based on satellite imagery. State media reported on June 6 that experts would examine the hull for the next stage of restorations, to be carried out at Rajin Dockyard for 7-10 days. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who witnessed the failed launch of the destroyer, called the accident a "criminal act". Since the accident in May, North Korea has said it detained several officials, and Mr Kim ordered the ship restored before a ruling party meeting in June. The Rajin shipyard, located near the Russian border, has produced many of North Korea's larger warships for decades, CSIS said. "Once any critical repairs or restoration work are completed, the vessel will likely be transferred to the shipyard's fitting out dock, where its weapons and other systems will be installed and subsequently commissioned," the think tank said in a report. The ship lay on its side in the water after the botched launch, but it was pulled upright, according to US researchers and the South Korean military. The 5,000-ton destroyers launched by North Korea in 2025 are the country's largest warships yet, part of leader Mr Kim's push to upgrade its naval power with vessels capable of carrying and launching dozens of missiles. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.