Pope Francis’ death leaves Catholic Church at a crossroads after he charted a progressive path
Ilya Smith, who grew up with the Lutheran and South Baptist, Pope FrancisThe teachings that focused on social justice and recognition of marginalization helped to influence his decision to transform into Catholicism a year ago.
“He led the role model,” said Smith, 22, a 22 -year -old student from Rokuel, North Carolina, and was very accepted. acceptance LGBTQ communityAcceptance of immigrants very Understanding different cultures“
But with Francis’ death On Monday eight and eight years of age, the Catholic Church is at a crossroads: 12 years after his leadership, does it continue in a gradual path to activate new followers with a message from totalitarianism, or return to traditional roots at a time when some were eager to the church belief in the customs and rituals of conservative?
Meghan Melkik, who grew up Catholic, said she hoped to “maintain hundreds of years tradition” as an interest in a Latin bloc in the Pittsburgh region.
For centuries, the traditional mass of the church was said in Latin and asked the priests to confront the altar with their appearance of the group, until the second Vatican Council in the 1960s sought to update the rituals. The changes made in local languages included and ordinary people became an integral part of service readings.
But in 2007, Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, Comfortable restrictionsAnd allow to celebrate the Latin Mass to return.
However, Francis set its own borders on the traditional mass, He said in 2023 It was “used in an ideological way, for backwardness.”
She said, 41 years old, attending the services of the Latin group with her husband and six children in a church that only grew after birth. Women wear hijops, usually called Mantillas, as a sign of respect. Mlinarcik also reduces the Moms Moms Latin collection on Facebook with 3000 members.
“Catholics are traditional, we pray for the Pope, and we want the Pope who accepts the Latin bloc and our traditional practices,” she added. “Of course, we want to see our religion grows, but there must be a place for us.”
The next leader in the world faces nearly 1.4 billion Catholics for a long time – to unify a debt that has decreased in some countries with the important Catholic population, including the United States, and an explosive height in others.
While the loss of followers has started in recent years in the United States, where there are an estimated 53 million adults, according to what he said. Pio Research CenterThe biggest growth of religion in Africa, The Vatican said in statistics This year was released.
Africa and Asia also witnessed great increases in the new priests, according to the Vatican.
Matthew North, the founding editor of the International Catholic Magazine, said that Francis – the first Pope in Latin America – made an important choice to appoint the new Cardinals from developing countries and other unconventional places.
“The Western world is no longer the center of the Catholic world,” said North, a professor of religious studies at the Holy Cross College in Worsester, Massachusetts.
Francis made the ordeal of migrants a pivotal point in the papacy, and two months ago The Trump administration criticized Efforts to make mass deportations in a letter to American bishops. He came after him Robet is a secret candidate at the time Donald Trump during He falls For his plan to deport immigrants, while President Kamala Harris, who supports abortions, also condemned.
Anyone who elects the Cardinans as a package in a secret gathering Known as Conclave He must wrestle with the very specific needs of Catholics where religion flourishes and has a viable future.
While equality in marriage and miscarriage is often at the center of religious polarization in the West, North said: “These are not necessarily the basic issues of people in the global south, who have to be dealt with often, and inequality in wealth, issues of social justice and the relationship of religion with Islam.”
He said that the Cardinals may choose to choose the Pope, who can continue Francis’ reforms, their retreat or simply “take a break, allow the repairs to drown, and allow the Catholic Church to arrest its breath.”
“They may choose a person with a pastoral style, as Pope Francis did, but who will not pay the reforms further or necessarily their decline.”
The Pope should be the “rock” that can guarantee unity and the safety of the church, rather than every diocese.
“I think it is unlikely to search the Cardinals who choose the next Pope simply to double the Francis Pontefat, but they will not look forward to dismissing it,” he said.
“Pope Francis often talked about the need for”Make chaos“To shake matters,” White said, referring to a letter of South America’s children. “He definitely did so. I expect the next Pope look to unify things a little and may be in a little arrangement.”
possible before–Francis behind Francis Both traditional factions are leadership when it comes to family, marriage, gay rights and immigration, while others defended urgent social issues in their home countries.
In the United States, Investigative studies showed The youngest Catholics has become more conservative than their most older counterparts, while The younger priests It is also the most conservative and moderate theme of political. Voters who define Catholics They voted with an overwhelming majority for the Republicans In elections 2024.
“There is no doubt that the majority of American bishops are conservative and Trump, and there is a major political defection in the Catholic Church,” said Andrew Chesinot, head of Catholic studies at the University of Virginia Community.
He said he expected conservative Catholics in Western countries to express the opposition if another door is chosen like Francis.
“We may see some great defection, especially if we have two repair doors again,” Cisonot added.
North has agreed that everyone who becomes the successor of Francis may meet some resistance in the United States, “simply because the Catholic society is very divided.”
“We live in times of division,” he said. “It will be an open question if the next Pope will try to heal these divisions or intentionally deepen them.”
