Pope Francis’ legacy faces test as cardinals prepare to choose successor

Emphasis by Pope Francis to reach the “periphery” Catholic Church And the world will result in a most diverse collection of church leaders in gathering history to select a new pope.

According to Mary Fiorito, an expert on the papal elections and an older colleague in the Catholic Association, this could result in the next Pope to have a very different set of priorities from Late PontiF.

Francis has selected about 80% of 135 church leaders – called cardinals – which will vote for the next Pope in the upcoming papal conclave.

The result will be that, instead of dominating European or even Western cardinals, conclave will have large contingents from regions like Africa and Asia.

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“This will be the most diverse conclave in the history of the Church,” Fiorito said.

But this diversity could state the deviation from some of the most important focuses of Francis’s pontificate, such as his emphasis on “Synododicity”, That is, the gathering of small groups from all over the world to discuss issues of theology and church practice.

Fiorito sees this next conclave, which she said is likely to start on May 5, as a question of whether the next Pope will be a man who continues Francis’ heritage or shifting the focus of the Church to problems such as persecution and poverty, which are the main issues in countries like Nigeria, Pakistan and India.

In Nigeria alone, where about half of the Christian population was killed, 3,100 Christians were killed, and 2,830 were abducted in 2024, according to a report of the International Guardian of Religious Freedom Open door.

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In this sense, Fiorito predicted that the African Cardinals, who now form a significant voting block in the conclave, would play a major role in choosing the next Pope.

She explained that the African Church has a very different set of priorities, which are largely shaped by a rapid growth reality with intense persecution.

“We are worried about things like climate change, and they are worried that they are not locked in the church and burning,” she explained. “They don’t sit at these tables for 10 discussing great ideas. They just want to ensure that their child arrives at school without cracking and can pay the rent this month.”

With this, the desire to choose the Pope which will respect the African Church as equal and who will oppose “ideological colonization” From the West with concepts such as climate change, abortion and gender ideology.

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“Cardinals in Africa are very sensitive to this type of ideological colonization in which they do not colonize in the traditional way, but the ideas of the West come and try to change African culture with western ideas without listening to people,” she said.

With that in mind, Fiorito pointed to the Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő, who at the age of 71 is young enough to choose it, and many see it as “the personality of John Paul II”. It is also respected by the camps of the synodalism of Pope Francis, as well as the bishops of African.

Another candidate, said Fiorito, who could “bridge the gap” between the different worlds Cardinal Robert Prekost, who is currently performing the post of president of the Pontific Commission for Latin America. However, Fiorito noted that the preference could be less likely if the cardinals “do not want to see so much world power concentrated in the United States.”

Fiorito also predicted questions of modernity in relation to the tradition, which wrote some of the most significant Controversy during Francis pontificate The factor will also play in the West.

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She said that in the midst of the general fall of faith to the west, there was a tangible shift in young people who accepted the traditional form of worship in the church, such as the traditional Latin Mass.

“There will be about 20 and go to mass,” she said. “In a world where there is so much madness and vulgarity, you have something timeless here and only transports you to another world.”

Nevertheless, she said that the issue of traditional Latin mass is more “a liturgical issue of a niche that I don’t think I will have much influence.”

Fiorito noted that, unlike political choices, choosing the next pope is less about expensive questions or politics, but instead refers to the man himself.

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“I would not express it in terms of the question, as if we were talking about economics or migration. We look at individual men and ask ourselves, who can best serve the Church at this point and who is best equipped to take this international role?” she said.

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“The role of the Holy Father is to be the center of unity for the Church, preaching a message and the gospel,” Fiorito continued. “So, looking at individual people, their strengths, their weaknesses, the background, which would have restrictions on. And then really, in a very prayer way, asking, what does the Church need in the new Pope now?”

“My sense of that,” she continued, “I think the Cardinals should look at the Church today globally and not only in their own yards, but globally and saying,” Who is the man who can best take the Church forward to this new age? ”