Will the Church be closer to the people? The election of the Pope will decide its future
Today, 133 cardinals will begin choosing a new pope. Only those who were less than 80 years old on the day Pope Francis died can participate. The vote will be secret and will take place in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. The longest election was that of Gregory X, which lasted two and three-quarters years. But that took place in the thirteenth century. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, voting has never lasted more than five days.
For the last time before the election, people will see the cardinals in St. Peter's Basilica for a service. After that, they'll be cut off from the outside world. They will move to the Sistine Chapel, where they will take an oath of absolute secrecy. During the entire election, no matter how long it takes, they must not have telephones. No newspapers, no television, no letters, no news.
The Francis legacy: courage, dialogue and compassion
The late Pope Francis fundamentally shifted the image of the Catholic Church - towards dialogue, ecological responsibility and social justice. His successor will now have to decide whether to embark on this path with even greater courage or turn back to caution and closed-mindedness.
From the perspective of the liberal-minded public - whether religious or secular - the names that really make a difference are in play. Cardinals like Jean-Marc Aveline, Robert Prevost, Matteo Zuppi or Cristóbal López Romero represent a Church that listens. A Church that understands the challenges of the 21st century: the climate crisis, growing inequality, the position of women and the rights of LGBTQ+ people. They are men who do not use religion as a tool of exclusion, but as a call for empathy, dialogue and the common good.
Cardinals for the 21st century
Cardinal Zuppi, for example, is not shy about speaking out for the acceptance of LGBT people in parishes, standing up for inclusive language and building diplomatic bridges between warring states. Despite declining support, Cardinal Tagle remains the moral voice of Asia and the global South - a world often overlooked by Europe. And Cardinal López Romero? He operates in a Muslim country, but with a profound respect for non-believers - precisely the kind of attitude we need today more than the dogmatic rants of the past.
On the other side stand conservative candidates like Peter Erdo or Raymond Burke, who would once again lock the Catholic Church in a glass case of moral prohibitions and culture war. And although some commentators say Cardinal Pietro Parolin is the "safe choice", the Church in crisis needs more than continuity - it needs courage. Not reform only within the Vatican, but transformation towards the people.
Back to the past or forward to the people?
The Catholic Church, though often forgotten in secular settings, remains one of the most powerful voices in the world. What it says from the pulpit has an impact on politics, interpersonal relations and the environment. It is therefore important that its spokesperson is someone who understands the values that underpin an open society: human rights, equality, climate justice and compassion.
If we are asking how to counter populism and authoritarianism in Europe today, the answer could be just such a church - not as moral police, but as an ally of freedom. And the new Pope could be the one to put a face to it. Let's hope the cardinals know this.
