The Vatican is thinking of appointing a successor for the sick pope

According to the international group Tasnim news agency, the German newspaper “Hamburger Abend Blatt” wrote in an article : These days, the Vatican is thinking about the time after Pope Francis. Rumors about this are increasing. In the rest of this article, the serious physical condition of Pope Francis, the leader of the world Catholics, is mentioned and it is said: His voice is shaky, he often loses his breath. and asks an employee to read his speeches. During the week of Easter, the eyes of the world are on Pope Francis, who has passed a difficult winter with many difficulties and hardships. Catholics are worried about the health of this 87-year-old man from Argentina, who usually sits in a wheelchair at the Vatican and has had to cancel several appointments in recent weeks due to the flu and bronchitis.

Pope Francis, according to the situation In poor health, he has said that the Vatican is considering a conference to choose a successor. During his hospitalization last year, the 87-year-old pope wrote in his autobiography, “Life,” that there were one or two people who preferred to campaign and were already thinking about holding a new conference to determine a successor.

Francis, unlike his predecessor Benedict XVI, has never decided to resign. He never thought about it because for him the responsibility of the Pope is for life. But there is already speculation in the Vatican about possible candidates to succeed Jorge Bergoglio, who has been in this position for eleven years. 132 of the 241 cardinals of the universal church currently have the right to vote in a possible conference on the matter. It was at the end of September that Pope Francis appointed 21 new cardinals, 18 of whom were papal electors.

But here is the question, which purple bearers are really qualified to succeed Francis? After a Pole, a German and a South American, it may be time to return the responsibility to an Italian as Pope. In this regard, there is a good chance for Cardinal Pietro Parolin (64 years old).

This northern Italian cardinal will be the fourth vice-president to be elected as pope in the history of the church. Parolin is a moderate diplomat who is respected by all for his discretion and willingness to avoid too much attention. Although he is Francis’ de facto “right-hand man”, he has good relations with more conservative circles.

Cardinal Matteo Zoppi, president of the Italian bishops’ conference, is also considered a successor among Italians. Like Parolin, this archbishop of Bologna is an ideal candidate for a longer papacy because of his relatively young age (67). Washington showed. Zuppi has a close relationship with the popular Catholic community of Sant’Egidio, which is strongly committed to helping migrants. He is one of the younger ranks of cardinals who are considered reformist and loyal to Francis.

Mario Grech of Malta is also a progressive candidate. The 66-year-old man recently showed his organizational talent as the General Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference. Although he had a significant contribution to the preparation of the world assembly initiated by Francis in 2021 entitled “For a synodical church – community, partnership and mission”, under his leadership a comprehensive set of reform aspirations, first at the episcopal level. , then it came together at the continental level and finally at the level of the world churches.

After three popes from Europe and South America, the people of Rome are also wondering if the time is up. The arrival of a pope from Africa has arrived? 74-year-old Cardinal Robert Sarai, who is from Guinea, is one of the possible candidates for the post.

Cardinal Robert Sarai has repeatedly spoken out against Francis’ immigration policies and urged young Africans to leave their countries. They do not impoverish for impossible dreams in Europe. On the other hand, the relationship between Sara and Pope Francis was never good. Thus, Sarah is a candidate for those promoting a clear change of direction in the Vatican. However, his age could be an obstacle to his selection.

On the other hand, conservatives in the Vatican are looking for more symbolic figures. In Europe, those nostalgic for the conservative Pope Benedict are looking to Budapest Cardinal Peter Ordu (71) as the next pope. Hungary’s history, education and even its ideas are very different from those of Pope Francis, starting with the issue of immigrants. He tries to improve relations between Catholics and Orthodox churches as much as possible, which is desirable because this is a more important global goal for the Vatican than union with Protestant churches.

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