The Outsider Pope: Francis’s Legacy

When Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis in 2013, he was a relative unknown within the Vatican power structure. Unlike many of his predecessors, he had never served as a Vatican official, having spent decades in local ministry in Argentina. His election marked a significant shift, as he became the first pope from the Americas [[3]].

Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88, made outreach to marginalized communities a hallmark of his papacy. He undertook 47 foreign trips, many to countries with small Catholic populations, including South Sudan, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates. He also prioritized Catholic-Muslim dialog.

His unconventional style extended to his press conferences, where he addressed a wide range of topics with candor. In 2015, when asked about the Catholic Church’s ban on birth control, Francis reaffirmed the ban but added that Catholics don’t have to have children like rabbits.

This open approach,while attracting global interest,also drew criticism from some within the Church. Nevertheless, his funeral attracted an estimated 400,000 people, demonstrating the widespread respect he garnered [[2]].

The Cardinals’ Dilemma: Outsider or Insider?

As the world’s Catholic cardinals gather to discuss francis’s successor, they face a essential question: Do they want another outsider, or is it time for an insider, someone more familiar with the vatican’s complex operations?

John Thavis, former Rome bureau chief for the Catholic News Service, who covered three papacies, observed:

Pope Francis… shifted the Church’s attention to the outside world.
John Thavis, Catholic News Service

thavis added, Some cardinals will now be tempted to pick an insider, someone with the skills to manage church affairs more carefully and quietly than Francis did.

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx,a leading European prelate and former adviser to Francis,stated that the cardinals would not be looking for a functionary. He emphasized:

We do not need a manager. What’s essential is that it be a brave person… People around the world need to be comforted, lifted up.
Cardinal Reinhard marx

However, italian Cardinal Camillo Ruini expressed a different view, arguing, We need to give the Church back to the Catholics. Ruini, who is too old to participate in the conclave, suggested that Francis sometimes favored those distant from the Church at the expense of devout faithful.

Others contend that a more managerial pope is needed to address the Church’s financial challenges, including a budget shortfall and pension fund liabilities.

The Conclave: Speeches and Priorities

The cardinals are meeting daily to discuss the challenges facing the 1.4-billion-member Church before those under 80 enter the conclave on May 7. During these “general congregations,” individual prelates can deliver speeches outlining their vision for the future.

In 2013, then-Archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge Bergoglio delivered a reflection emphasizing the need for the church to better engage with the modern world.According to Austen Ivereigh,a biographer of Francis,this speech proved decisive in his election.

bergoglio gave the speech which led the cardinals to believe that the Holy Spirit had made its choice. The choice that (Bergoglio) gave them, and the proposal for what the next pope should do, just struck them very, very forcefully.
Austen Ivereigh, Biographer of Pope Francis

It remains to be seen whether any cardinal can deliver a similarly impactful speech this week.

Francis prioritized appointing cardinals from countries that had never had them, such as Myanmar, haiti, and Rwanda. Consequently, many of the approximately 135 cardinals expected to enter the conclave do not know each other well.

The cardinals may look to Francis as a model and choose another outsider. Alternatively, they may consider Pope Benedict XVI, a Vatican insider who served as a senior official for nearly two decades before becoming pontiff.

Thavis believes the outpouring of public mourning for Francis could influence the cardinals’ decision.

The cardinals witnessed an outpouring of love and respect for Francis. It’s one more reason why the ability to connect with people will weigh more than managerial skills as they make their choice.
John Thavis, Catholic News Service

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: When did Pope Francis die?
  

  A: April 21.

• Q: How old was Pope Francis when he died?
  

  A: 88 years old.

• Q: When will the cardinals meet to elect the next pope?
  

  A: May 7.

• Q: How many cardinals will participate in the conclave?
  

  A: Approximately 135.