The Vatican these days is a hive of extraordinary pilgrimage activity. Cardinals are convening for the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis, who died in Rome last month at the age of 88. Though the conclave was officially convened on Monday, the votes and negotiations that will remake the leadership of the Catholic Church truly started long before. It is challenged by such concerns as evangelization, finances, clerical sexual abuse, war and peace, and ministering to the poor and migrants.
Pope Francis was a remarkable spiritual leader for over twelve years. He departs from this world leaving behind a complicated legacy, not least when it comes to the place of women in the church. His advocacy for a more progressive world began before his election and carried through the course of his papacy. He felt equally uncompromising that women should never be ordained priests. Despite those limitations, he worked actively to increase the place of women in church leadership and conversations.
As the conclave began, cardinals from every corner of the earth gathered in Rome, some for the first time, shaking hands and embracing each other. St. Peter’s Square was packed with spectators even though it was known that no pope would be elected on the first day. This meeting, their 83rd, will be voting in a new leader. It will determine how the Catholic Church moves forward in the coming years and decades. Some of the cardinals clearly want to protect and continue the legacy of Pope Francis, and there are others who are eager to dismantle his reforms.
Advocates for the ordination of women have gathered in Rome. Catholic women’s groups in the area have coordinated daily peaceful sit-ins. They march for a more inclusive church, holding banners that demand equality and more visibility for women leaders. At one of these demonstrations, supporters let pink smoke bombs fly into the air to represent their demands.
On the day that conclave opened, Giovanni Battista Re led the funeral mass of Pope Francis. The very special ceremony of elevation occurred at St. Peter’s Basilica. Re kept the late pope’s legacy by uplifting marginalized communities. Vatican diplomat He stressed the importance of prayerful discernment in choosing a new pontiff.
“We are here to invoke the help of the holy spirit, to implore his light and strength so that the pope elected may be he whom the church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history.” – Giovanni Battista Re
Even more than a week after his passing, the debates around Pope Francis’s legacy are still murky. Religion leaders within the church are split on how to promote progressive ideas rooted in tradition. Miriam Duignan, a delegate from one of the women’s advocacy groups, expressed her optimism for the future.
“He was for the marginalised people, and we need to make sure this continues. We don’t want to see the flashy richness of the church; this is no longer in fashion.” – Miriam Duignan
Whether cardinals meet in secret or not, their dark days really do lie ahead. They need to balance the expectations of a large and varied flock with church teachings and history. This conclave will continue until the cardinals elect a new pope. This ruling may portend a much larger change for an institution now very much at a crossroads.
The late great Pope Francis, of happy memory, is entombed at Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in Rome. It’s no surprise that thousands have visited to pay their respects since his death. His emphasis on a more inclusive, welcoming, and progressive Catholic Church has generated excitement and opposition from the church hierarchy.
As it stands, this conclave has an opportunity to turn the church’s witness on a number of important issues. It pays specific attention to gender equality and social justice. As advocates call for change, many await to see if the new pope will carry forward Francis’s vision or chart a different course altogether.