New Cardinals Will vote on the Next Pope


The Christian world is in turmoil just like the non religious world. As Pope Francis approaches retirement or his ultimate death who will replace him and what will be the direction of the post Francis church?

Today there was an announcement of additional Cardinals, those high ranking clergy who will meet in secret to choose a new Pope when the time comes. The link notes new Cardinals have been named in many parts of the world not before represented. Pope Francis has now appointed 80% of the Cardinals that will choose his successor. When a Cardinal reaches his 80th Birthday he goes off the Cardinals that will choose the new Pope. This means Pope Francis will choose even more as time moves on. 

The Vatican has some kind hiring freeze and no raises. Retirees pay for their housing, an old perk gone. I read that international gatherings are shorter than they use to be. Some formerly Vatican expenses have been off loaded to dioceses. 

While Vatican money is tight, there is some big money available in the Catholic lobbying groups. I read that even though many of the new Cardinals have spent little or no time in the Vatican there are lobbyists representing factions in the Catholic Church traveling around the globe to call on them sell them on various views. I would guess there are factions supporting certain Cardinals for Pope making calls right now. One reads about the zealotry of the Benedict faction wanting a conservative Pope to replace Francis. Perhaps offsetting this lobbying has been the vetting of Cardinals by the Francis staff.

Even though the Catholic Church and Christianity in general contracts, the drama around the Pope continues.  


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