Balancing tradition and progress: The Vatican's search for unity
Cardinal Camillo Ruini emphasises the need to choose a pope who can unite the Church and restore it to Catholics while maintaining openness to the world.
In an interview with Corriere.it, Cardinal Camillo Ruini stressed that the new pope should be a courageous person capable of leading in difficult times. Ruini noted that the Church must be inclined towards Catholics but still open to everyone.
Ruini observed that Pope Francis focused on those distant from the Church, which may have caused dissatisfaction among the faithful who have defended Catholic values over the years.
"Francis seemed to favour the distant at the expense of the close. This is an evangelical gesture. But just as in the parable of the prodigal son, where the second son protested, so too are there those today who protest within the Church," Ruini said.
The cardinal admitted that despite the end of Pope Francis's pontificate, divisions within the Church still exist. He highlighted the need to act wisely to unite the faithful, who are divided between traditionalists and supporters of opening up to the modern world.
Ruini pointed out the way the media portrayed Pope Francis's funeral. - The central element of the Church should be Christ, not the pope himself - analysed the cardinal.
Ruini also emphasised that the new pope will have to face challenges related to Church unity and the de-structuring of church institutions. He noted that while Pope Francis sought to purge the Church, it wasn’t always understood as de-structuring.
"It is true that divisions date back to Paul VI's time and that Francis is part of a long line of contested popes. It is also true that this problem cannot be completely overcome. However, it must be addressed," explained the cardinal.
"Trump’s candidate" as the new pope? It would be a historic moment
First, Donald Trump joked in an interview with reporters that he would like to become the pope himself and then suggested a specific candidate for the new leader of the Church. That candidate is Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York.
Cardinal Dolan - one of the most recognisable Catholic clergymen in the US - is, however, an unlikely candidate. According to Reuters, he is not on the list of favourites. On the other hand, another American cardinal, Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, is.
Dolan was appointed Archbishop of New York in 2009, and in 2012, Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the rank of cardinal.
