Catholic Church Will Not Return to Super Conservative Popes


Right wing Catholics think they can wait out Pope Francis and when he dies replace him with another version of Pope Benedict and whomever the guy was before Benedict. Was it John (whatever)? Pope Francis has been criticizing conservative U. S. Catholics. They, such as defrocked Priests of Life founder Frank Pavone, think they will force their will into the naming of the next Pope. 

Catholics who are more anti-abortion than they are Catholic are waiting to name the next Pope--no doubt New York's Archbishop Tim Dolan thinks he is a great candidate. Their people have not done the math. Pope Francis has appointed 70% of the Cardinals who will name his replacement. The numbers of Cardinals from continents that are not strongly anti-abortion like Africa have been increased.

It seems inevitable the old Catholic sleight of hand system is coming or already here. It is to simply never again speak of old rules which remain theoretically in place. Clergy are already prevented from declaring abortion to be a sin. Lots of other do-not-discuss rules are here or coming.

One is remarriage of divorced Catholics. First marriages will all be quietly ignored of "annulled" and second marriages conducted and blessed by priests with enthusiasm. Communion will be automatic.

Another big one coming is married priests. Catholics and Protestants have the same problem, cash flow. Church populations are getting too small to pay for full time clergy. If new churches are started the only alternative will often be volunteer lay clergy. I've been following one of the lesser known Lutheran denominations, Missouri Synod. Younger people are pressuring the old timers to take down the old expensive training requirements for preachers so tiny new groups can start with a lay preacher. The economics make this the only hope.

The same will be required for Catholics. The seminary trained priests who make the celibate vow will be gone. Married priests with outside careers and a bigger role for women is coming. The self centered priest hierarchy will lose lots of the power it has had.  

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