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New York Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
A Conclave Like No Other
There are so many unfamiliar faces, cardinals are wearing name tags. The Vatican guesthouse for out-of-towners coming to choose the next pope is overbooked. Daily Vatican meetings have taken on the feel of theological speed-dating sessions. 'The cardinals don't know each other so well,' said Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden, who has spent recent days in a crowded Vatican lecture hall listening to the concerns and learning the names of the record number of cardinals Pope Francis appointed who will choose his successor. Cardinal Arborelius sat in a section reserved for a small group of newcomers from countries that never had cardinals before. They included one from Mali, who, he said, had 'disappeared' after the first day, and from Laos, who, many days into the meetings, 'hasn't turned up.' He himself, he said, felt 'lost all the time.' Nevertheless, he and scores of other cardinals will file into the Sistine Chapel starting Wednesday afternoon to cast ballots for the next pope under seclusion and Michelangelo's frescoes, in one of the world's oldest dramas. All papal elections are unpredictable. But this conclave has so many unfamiliar faces with unfamiliar politics, priorities and concerns that it could be more fractious than usual. It also comes at a particularly perilous moment for a church that Francis left deeply divided, with progressive factions pushing for more inclusion and change, and conservatives seeking to roll things back, often under the guise of unity. The first pope in centuries from outside Europe, Francis expanded the church's global reach to better reflect the faith's diversity. The conclave that chose him 12 years ago had 115 cardinals from 48 countries. This conclave is expected to have 133 voting-age cardinals (those under 80), representing about 70 countries. The new pope will need at least 89 votes. Some cardinals are quietly holding spin sessions in the backrooms of churches and book-lined apartments or under the ornate chandeliers of religious orders. Vatican officials, experts, insiders and waiters — and even gossip columnists who usually specialize in socialites behaving badly — all claim to have an inside track on the dynamics taking shape about the obvious and clandestine candidates, chatty kingmakers, veteran operators and youngish impressionables. In reality, no one knows who will emerge on the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square after the white smoke signals the cardinals have made their pick. The crowded hall makes for more 'anonymous' members, without strong international leaders, or even national blocs, said Andrea Riccardi, the founder of the Sant'Egidio Community, a Catholic group close to Francis and to some of the Italian cardinals seen as having a shot at becoming pope. The result, he said, is a fragmenting of alliances and more of an assembly dynamic that 'benefits the well known' and allows for more 'moral pressure from, let's call them, older people.' One of the most pressing questions before the cardinals will be whether to go farther up the road Francis pointed to, or to decide to bring the papacy 'home' to Europe. The early favorites reflect those tensions. Among them are Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, an Italian who was the Vatican's secretary of state under Francis. He is seen as someone who might be able to straddle both moderate and more liberal camps, though is apparently objectionable to conservatives. In the days before the conclave, a right-wing Catholic publication from the United States blasted out the rumor that he had fainted in the hall. The Vatican said it was a lie. Another oft-mentioned contender is Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, of the Philippines, who embodies the impulse for a progressive from the church's expanding realms. And finally, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 60, the Italian Patriarch of Jerusalem, who like Francis is known for his pastoral sensibility, but who is, again, Italian. 'There are three everyone knows: Parolin, Tagle and Pizzaballa,' said Cardinal Arborelius, who is himself sometimes mentioned as a possible pope, and who called himself part of a 'very special group' of newcomers. The Newbies Not everyone is thrilled with the acceleration of geographic diversity and the new crop entrusted to decide the future of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller of Germany, a conservative who used to run the church's office on doctrine before Francis fired him from that job, recalled a meeting during Francis' pontificate when one of the new guys — 'a cardinal of 25 Catholics in an isle in the South Sea' — came into a subcommittee meeting. 'He said three things,' Cardinal Müller said. 'First, I don't speak English. Second, I know nothing of theology. And third, I didn't know why they made me cardinal. Now he is a voter of the pope.' Conservatives complain that Francis stacked the college with cardinals far over its customary 120 members. He passed over archbishops in Western capitals, positions sometimes held by conservatives, to create a more global college that reflected his pastoral vision and bottom-up view of the church. But it is not clear that all the cardinals Francis created are in his mold. On hot-button political issues dear to Western liberals, like inclusion of L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics and women, they can be more conservative. Some close allies of Francis waved away the concern. 'You can find opposition figures in every country in which he made cardinals,' said Cardinal Michael Czerny, a Canadian progressive and Jesuit who was a close adviser to Francis, noting the pope had passed them over. 'I don't think he is choosing people who disagree with him completely.' Other cardinals privately worried the new members of the college might get star-struck by the big names or would be easily manipulated by Vatican power players, resulting in a quick conclave that elects a favorite. On the other hand, the newcomers, having yet to forge alliances, could be hard to herd, attenuating the voting. The Italians There is a feeling among some in the room that 'now we need an Italian pope,' noted Cardinal Arborelius, the newcomer from Sweden. Other cardinals, too, have noticed the Italians seem to be suffering papal withdrawal. 'For how long have they not had a pope?' Cardinal Juan José Omella of Barcelona said with a smile. The answer: 47 years. Forever, in Italian time. After Adrian VI, a pope from Holland, died in 1523, the Italians held a tight grip on papal power for 455 years until John Paul II of Poland emerged from the conclave in 1978. He was succeeded by Benedict XVI from Germany, and then Francis from Argentina. The Italian cardinals, often fractured by ideological, personal and cultural conflicts, traditionally do not vote as a bloc. Some backers of non-Italian candidates argue that is still the case. But a reduction in the Italian ranks by Francis may prompt more cohesion than usual among the remaining 17 Italian voting cardinals, church insiders say. With about 12 percent of the total vote, they remain the largest national group, and they have strong candidates and kingmakers among them. But some church traditionalists argue that doctrine and theology should outrank all other considerations. To them, the Italian effort to bring the papacy home is silly. ''One of us,'' Cardinal Müller said, mocking the Italian rallying cry. 'It's childish.' The Unlikely Allies There are no shortage of potential coalitions. Voting blocs may form around geography, ideology, language or cultural sensitivities. Or around priorities like financial transparency or doctrinal issues. They may even form around old-fashioned score-settling or antagonisms. Some Vatican officials said the Asian cardinals were considered well organized and tight-knit, making themselves a powerful bloc that could join with more progressive Americans and South Americans who do not want an Italian, for instance. Instead, the speculation goes, they could line up behind someone like Cardinal Tagle of the Philippines. To do that, they would have to override the likely objections of conservatives who have rolled their eyes at Cardinal Tagle weeping when he received his red cardinal's hat from Pope Benedict in 2012 or videos widely shared recently of him dancing in a church and singing 'Imagine' by John Lennon. 'He cries,' Cardinal Müller said with a shrug, adding that he considered the Filipino 'extroverted.' Conservatives appointed by the previous pontificates are considered a cohesive group, even if they do not have decisive numbers. Some liberal cardinals worry the conservatives will seek a force multiplier by looking to Africa. Africa is home to one of the church's most booming Catholic populations, and to some of its most conservative cardinals, many of whom are deeply opposed to inclusion of L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics. The most frequently cited candidate from Africa is Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was a favorite of Francis, who appreciated his pastoral pedigree. But he opposed a rule change Francis made permitting blessings of same-sex unions. Instead, he has pushed other priorities, like pastoral care for polygamists. The emphasis does not thrill European conservatives, and the question is whether they are willing to overlook it to advance other priorities. It has also infuriated liberals who call for more inclusion of L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics and women in the church, and who see a clear, politically motivated, double standard. 'Which is more widespread? Polygamy or homosexuality?' said the Rev. James Martin, an American who personally received encouragement from Francis for his ministry to L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics. 'Why does one deserve pastoral consideration and the other condemnation?' Cardinal Ambongo is hardly the most conservative African cardinal. Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea led the resistance to Francis and is feared by liberals who see him as someone who would yank the church backward. 'I can think of some African cardinals — they make me shudder,' Cardinal Czerny said. Asked whether conservatives were rallying behind an African pope as a Trojan Horse to further their agenda, Cardinal Czerny said, 'Certainly, certainly, certainly, and that's why,' he added, 'it's so, so, so stupid to say things like Africa's time has come.' Some progressives argue that, instead, the church should look east. Conservatives charge that a tacit progressive prejudice against Africa may be behind the pivot to Asia. 'Asia!' Cardinal Müller said. 'I think there's hidden prejudices that Africa is not so developed. Nobody would say it, but deep in the heart, no?'
New York Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Cardinal Parolin, Leader of Papal Conclave, Is Also a Top Candidate
In the days surrounding Pope Francis' death, Cardinal Pietro Parolin was everywhere. The No. 2 figure in the Vatican, he visited Francis in the hospital, and then helped seal the papal apartments after the pope died. He welcomed cardinals he knew from around the world to the pope's funeral, talking to former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi of Italy. And leading up to the conclave to pick the next pope, he celebrated an outdoor Mass for tens of thousands of faithful on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica. It seems that everyone knows Cardinal Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, who will preside over the papal election and who has emerged as the leading compromise candidate before a conclave in which many of the more than 130 cardinals do not know one another. 'The only candidate that for now has emerged with a certain insistence is Parolin,' said Andrea Riccardi, the founder of the Sant'Egidio Community, a Catholic group close to Francis. 'He represents a continuity,' added Mr. Riccardi, who is close to several cardinals who are considered papal contenders. 'He has said, 'Virtue stands in the middle.'' A quiet, plodding Italian with a famously inscrutable poker face, Cardinal Parolin is deeply cautious. But at a time of global upheaval, that is not necessarily a disqualifier. Even his backers grant that he lacks Francis' charisma and global symbolism — but as the leader of the Vatican machinery for the past decade, he enacted Francis' vision. Cardinals have talked about Cardinal Parolin as someone who could have a steady, bureaucratic hand on the church's wheel. And at 70, he could appeal to cardinals who do not want to be stuck too long with the winner. His critics on the left question his past comments about same-sex marriage, which he called a 'defeat for humanity,' and his lack of pastoral experience. His critics on the right criticize his role in the church's efforts to make inroads in China, which has required negotiations with Communist leaders. But few prelates who know him have strong feelings about him either way. And after the eventful and, for some, divisive dozen years under Francis, bland but competent may be just what the cardinals are looking for. On migration, for example, whereas Francis excoriated the inhumanity of great powers turning the Mediterranean into a graveyard, Cardinal Parolin said after a meeting with Italy's right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, that immigration was 'a very, very complex subject.' Some have drawn parallels to the conclave of 1939. With authoritarianism rising and the world order endangered, those cardinals elected Eugenio Pacelli, a Vatican secretary of state who had served as envoy to Germany in the 1920s during the Nazis' rise. Historians are still divided over whether he, as Pius XII, took an overly diplomatic approach. And within the church, some liberal Catholics have questioned whether a measured bureaucrat without deep pastoral experience is what the church needs to keep Francis' inclusive momentum going. Cardinal Parolin grew up in Schiavon, a small town in the northern Italian region of Veneto that is known as a cradle of popes. He was raised by his mother, an elementary school teacher, after his father, who owned a hardware store, died in a car accident when the boy was 10. He entered the minor seminary at 14 and was ordained at 25. But Cardinal Parolin's career was not on the path of being a pastor, or a diocesan priest. He entered the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome, which trains priests to serve in the diplomatic corps. In the 1980s, he was stationed in Nigeria during military coups and a civil war. Later, he worked in Mexico to restore diplomatic ties. In 1992, he returned to the Vatican, where he joined the powerful Secretariat of State and served on the Italy desk. He later became the director of the Villa Nazareth school for promising students with poor backgrounds, forming connections to young people who would later join Italy's elite. But he also acquired baggage on the way. In 2002, under John Paul II, Cardinal Parolin became the Vatican's second most important diplomat, focusing on Vietnam, where he helped normalize relations, and on China, which for many in the church is the great challenge of the coming century. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI tried reconciliation with China, which required its bishops to be loyal to the country's government rather than to Rome. He chose Cardinal Parolin, who was then an archbishop, to lead the talks over bishops in state-sanctioned churches. The talks stalled. In 2009, Benedict gave Cardinal Parolin another difficult assignment, as the Vatican's ambassador to Venezuela, where prelates were in a tense standoff with Hugo Chávez's leftist government. The cardinal's charge in Venezuela was more political than theological, and he employed a style that he would later call 'positive neutrality' to press church interests without taking sides between the government and the opposition. Venezuelans credited Cardinal Parolin — who speaks English, French and near-fluent Spanish with a slight Italian lilt — with easing tensions between the government and the church. It helped that his approach to diplomacy was rather deliberate and discreet, his supporters have said. His diplomatic focus under Francis extended to the war in Ukraine and relations with Russia and the United States. But China was again a major agenda item as Francis tried anew to improve relations. Cardinal Parolin helped strike a groundbreaking deal in 2018 that amounted to the first formal recognition of the pope's authority within the church in China. Conservatives considered it a betrayal for Francis to recognize bishops appointed by the Chinese government who had been previously excommunicated. Sharing any church authority, conservatives argued, created dangerous conditions for the millions of Chinese Catholics who worshiped in underground churches loyal to the pope. But Francis, and Cardinal Parolin, said it was worth it. The church had an 'attitude of hope, openness and dialogue that we want to continue on both sides,' Cardinal Parolin said in 2023. All the church asked from China, he said, was that 'Catholics can be Catholics.' Perhaps the ultimate sign of Cardinal Parolin's strength headed into the conclave is an apparent effort to stop him. American right-wing Catholic publications reported in the days before the papal election that he had fainted during one of the general congregation meetings. The incident never occurred, said Matteo Bruni, the Vatican spokesman. 'It's not true,' he said.
New York Times
25-04-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Francis Wanted a Church of the Poor and Put It Into Practice
Throughout his papacy, Francis was an outspoken advocate for the downtrodden. Shortly after he was elected in 2013 he said, 'How I would like a church that is poor and for the poor.' But Francis, who died on Monday at 88, didn't just pay lip service. When the vehicle carrying his coffin pulls up at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he will be buried on Saturday, a group of 'poor and needy' people will be waiting on the steps, the Vatican said this week. After all, the statement added, the pope 'had chosen the name Francis to never forget them.' St. Francis of Assisi renounced his wealth to live in poverty. Marginalized groups will be present at the funeral, the Vatican said Friday. One of the first people to pay their respects when Francis was brought to St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday was Sister Geneviève Jeanningros, who until last year lived in a camper in a fairground outside Rome, serving those in need. She was in regular contact with Francis, who visited the fairground, and images of her weeping in front of his coffin moved many. Closer to his own home, Francis 'strongly supported' transforming the Vatican post office located on the right side of the colonnade of St. Peter's Square into a free medical clinic for the homeless and for undocumented migrants. The clinic opened in 2018 and averages 100 visits a day, said its director, Dr. Massimo Ralli. 'It's putting the Gospel into practice because caring for people is one of the aspects of charity,' said Dr. Ralli. 'So it absolutely mirrors the message of the Holy Father toward the least.' Showers for the homeless were set up near the clinic. This week they are closed, because tens of thousands have poured into St. Peter's to pay homage to Francis, who lies in state in the basilica. But the throngs do not seem to have caused any inconvenience to the homeless, who each night shelter under the square's majestic colonnade. Often, they use tents distributed by the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, an ancient office of papal charities to which Francis gave freer rein, under the leadership of Cardinal Conrad Krajewski. In 2019, Francis blessed a four-story Vatican property behind the left colonnade of the Basilica when he opened a shelter that provides housing for about 50 people. 'The pope has had a very strong focus on the poor from the beginning,' said Carlo Santoro of the Sant'Egidio Community, a Rome-based charity that runs the building. Francis often ate with the homeless and invited them to annual concerts at the Vatican. He was also outspoken on prison conditions, and one of his final public outings last week was to visit inmates at Rome's Regina Coeli prison. 'Francis gave immense emphasis to aid to the poor, not just the poor in Rome, but the poor around the world,' he added, citing trips by Cardinal Krajewski to take supplies to Ukraine. The most recent trip was this month. These initiatives haven't always gone down well with members of the Curia, as the Vatican administration is known. In the late 1980s, John Paul II and Mother Teresa opened a soup kitchen and dormitory for women inside the Vatican that still feeds dozens daily. Both Mr. Santoro and Dr. Ralli expressed concerns that the next pope might not have the same priorities as Francis. That is a concern, too, of Piero Di Domenicantonio, the former editor of the Vatican newspaper, the Osservatore Romano, who began publishing a monthly street newspaper by and for the homeless three years ago when he retired. 'The paper incarnates everything Pope Francis taught us about social issues and service of charity,' Mr. Di Domenicantonio said. It was inspired by him, 'and he encouraged us to continue.' Francis also promoted his message of charity in more controversial ways, commissioning a contemporary sculptor to create works representing his inclusive vision for St. Peter's Square. The latest work, by the Canadian artist Timothy P. Schmalz, was installed this month on the colonnade directly in front of the clinic. Titled 'Be Welcoming,' it depicts a person in a simple robe and sandals with a staff and angel's wings. It was put there 'to bring attention to what is behind,' Mr. Schmalz said in a telephone interview. Six years ago, Francis commissioned another work by Mr. Schmalz depicting 140 migrants and refugees from various historical periods traveling on a boat. It includes Indigenous people, the Virgin Mary and Joseph, Jews fleeing Nazi Germany and those from war-torn countries. Francis had said he had wanted the statue in St. Peter's Square 'so that all will be reminded of the evangelical challenge of hospitality.' Some critics had turned up their noses at modern works brushing up against the colonnade, designed in the 17th century by the Baroque master Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Cardinal Krajewski had retorted, 'It doesn't matter if it doesn't match the Berninis, it matches the Gospels,' according to Mr. Schmalz. 'That's the courage of Pope Francis,' Mr. Schmalz said, 'to bring the Gospels to the forefront.'
