When Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis in 2013, he was not the usual pick. He wasn’t a Vatican official, meaning he hadn’t worked at the Vatican before. Instead, he had spent many years working with people in his home country, Argentina. He was also the first pope from South America, which was a big deal for Catholics around the world.
Now, the Catholic cardinals (the important church leaders) are meeting to talk about who should be the next pope after Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88. The cardinals have an important question to answer:
Do they want someone from the outside, like Pope Francis, or is it time for an insider, someone who really understands how the Vatican works?
What Did Pope Francis Do?
During his time as pope, Pope Francis traveled to many countries, especially places where there weren’t many Catholics. He visited countries like South Sudan, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates to talk about peace and work with people from different religions, like Muslims.
Pope Francis was also known for being very open and honest. He would talk to reporters and answer difficult questions. One time, he was asked about the church’s rule against birth control, and he said that Catholics don’t have to have lots of children like rabbits. This made a lot of people talk, and some didn’t agree with him, but others appreciated how he was honest and open.
What Are the Cardinals Saying Now?
As the cardinals meet, some are saying they want another outsider—someone who can focus on helping people and not just church rules. Cardinal Reinhard Marx, a church leader from Germany, says that the church needs a brave pope, someone who can comfort people in difficult times.
But not everyone agrees. Cardinal Camillo Ruini from Italy says that Francis sometimes focused too much on people who didn’t follow the church closely. He thinks the church needs a pope who will pay more attention to the faithful Catholics who love the church and its teachings.
Some people think the church needs a manager who can fix problems, like the church’s money troubles. The church has a lot of debts, and it needs someone who understands how to handle finances.
What Will Happen Next?
The cardinals are meeting every day this week to talk about the church’s future. They’ll choose a new pope in a secret meeting called a conclave on May 7.
In 2013, Pope Francis made a big speech at one of these meetings, talking about how the church needed to open up to the modern world. That speech helped convince the cardinals to pick him as pope. Will someone else give a speech that moves the cardinals the same way? It’s hard to say.
What Will the Next Pope Be Like?
Pope Francis chose cardinals from countries that had never had a cardinal before, like Myanmar and Haiti. So, many of the cardinals meeting this week don’t know each other very well. They might think about Pope Francis as a model and choose someone like him—an outsider. Or, they might choose someone like Pope Benedict XVI, who was very familiar with the Vatican and worked there for many years before he became pope.
One thing is certain: Pope Francis was loved by people around the world. His funeral had over 400,000 people there to say goodbye. This outpouring of love might make the cardinals think about picking a pope who connects with people and isn’t just a manager.
What Do You Think?
Do you think the next pope should be someone from outside the Vatican, like Pope Francis, or should they pick someone who understands the inner workings of the church?
