Every day, Aleteia offers a selection of articles written by the international press about the Church and the major issues that concern Catholics around the world. The opinions and views expressed in these articles are not those of the editors.
Tuesday 31 May 2022
1 – New cardinals make the analysis of a future conclave difficult
2 – Hong Kong churches drop Tiananmen tributes after 33 years, amid arrest fears
3 – In the Vatican archives, a researcher discovers secrets about Pius XII
4 – Barcelona Catholics propose “opening the possibility” of optional celibacy and female priesthood
5 – “I, a young cardinal from far away Mongolia. The Pope knows how to amaze”
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New cardinals make the analysis of a future conclave difficult
Pope Francis has surprised again by choosing, among the 16 new Cardinal electors, totally unknown personalities who will one day be asked to elect the next pope. “It’s exceedingly difficult to project how the new Cardinal from, say, Mongolia, is likely to vote in the next conclave, or from East Timor, or the first Indian cardinal from the Dalit underclass,” comments Vatican expert John Allen. He suggests that some imagine that this choice of people from the periphery could play into the hands of Italian Cardinal Zuppi, who is close to the Pope and part of the Sant’Egidio Community. Allen also points out that the Cardinal electors don’t know each other, partly because the pandemic has prevented large meetings. They will therefore get to know each other in the general congregations. This could lead to a long conclave, as it takes time to reach a consensus, but also a short one, with the peripheral Cardinals lining up behind the big figures. In short, everything remains open.