VATICAN CITY (RNS) Amid all of the prognosticating about who the cardinals could choose as the next pope in the conclave that starts here on Tuesday (March 12), one reliable thread has emerged: the desire to elect a pontiff who can be a pastor to the world as well as a taskmaster to the Roman Curia.
Finding such a combination in a single man, of course, may prove difficult if not impossible, which adds to the almost unprecedented level of uncertainty surrounding this papal election.
A poster of Pope Benedict XVI on the streets of Rome. The conclave to pick a new pope will begin on Tuesday (March 12) the Vatican said Friday, resolving an open question that had dogged the cardinals meeting here over the past week. RNS photo by David Gibson
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So if anything is possible, some say it might be better to reverse the prevailing wisdom — look for a pope who will talk tough to Catholics (and the world) while shepherding the Curia with a firm hand in order to better police the wayward.
The prospect might appall progressives and others who were happy to see the end of Pope Benedict XVI’s papacy, but it has enough appeal to conservatives that they are trying to make the case.
One reason for their sense of urgency is that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger turned out to be more of a papal pussycat as Benedict XVI than the watchdog of orthodoxy that he had been for decades while serving under John Paul II.
Is now the time for a pope who could be more of a Ratzinger than a Benedict?
“Actually, I’d be glad if the next pope were nice, with a winning smile and a friendly manner,” Russell Shaw, a veteran church observer and former spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote in Our Sunday Visitor. “But vastly more important than being nice is that he be a tough-minded realist, with a backbone of steel. That’s what the Church needs now.”
George Weigel, a conservative American commentator and papal biographer with close ties to the Vatican, was on much the same page in a weekend column in The Wall Street Journal in which he called for the next pope to be a “culture warrior” who would “call the West out of the sandbox of self-absorption and into a nobler vision of human possibility.”
So who could fit that bill?
‘A holy man who will prayerfully clean house’
For one, Cardinal Raymond Burke, the former archbishop of St. Louis and now the head of the Vatican court system. Burke, 64, would cheer many conservatives; with his track record as someone who lays down the law and sticks to it, you can see why.
Some have even convinced themselves that Burke has a shot — like blogger Taylor Marshall, who wrote a post confidently titled “10 Reasons Cardinal Burke Will Be the Next Pope.”
Cardinal Raymond Burke, the former archbishop of St. Louis and now the head of the Vatican court system. RNS photo by David Gibson
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Marshall says the huge challenges facing the church — from militant Islam to the the rising tide of secularism, not to mention the scandals and crises inside Catholicism and the instability introduced by Benedict’s stunning resignation — all argue for a hard-liner:
“The Cardinals will rally to a holy man who will prayerfully clean house and face down the evils, scandals, and rumors,” Marshall writes. “There is only one cardinal who has vocalized a plan of attack for the political, liturgical, and canonical problems in the Church: his name is Raymond Cardinal Burke.”
An Asian tiger
If Burke has too much baggage — he is still an American, after all — there are other options for those looking for a “Dirty Harry” pope.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Sri Lanka, for example. At 65, Ranjith is also in the right age bracket (not too old, not too young) and his home base in Asia would satisfy demands that the cardinals look beyond Europe to choose a pope from the Global South, where the church is booming.
But Ranjith worked for many years in the Roman Curia and developed a reputation as a conservative and a genuine restorationist when it comes to the old Latin Mass, which is the defining issue for many on the church’s right flank.
In fact, just four months after being appointed archbishop of Colombo, in 2009, he issued rules requiring that Communion be received old-school style, on the tongue and in a kneeling position, and he forbid lay people from preaching.
“Despite those drawbacks, Ranjith may still be the most plausible Asian candidate to pass muster among the 115 cardinals who will cast ballots in this election,” wrote John Allen, ace Vaticanista with the National Catholic Reporter.
The ‘little Ratzinger’
Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera after an audience in the Vatican City State. Photo byy Th1979 (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons (http://bit.ly/ZfOUFa)
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Or there’s a candidate who is actually called the “little Ratzinger” — Spanish Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, 67, who has been the Vatican’s top liturgy official since 2008, and was for years before that the archbishop of Toledo and primate of Spain.
Llovera got his diminutive nickname for a doctrinal toughness that resembled Ratzinger’s, and is called “little” only because of his physical stature rather than a diminished enthusiasm for enforcing doctrinal and liturgical orthodoxy.
Are any of these realistic possibilities?
One factor the hard-liners have in common — and which also weighs heavily against them all — is that they are currently working in, or are closely associated with, the very Curia that the cardinals want reformed.
That makes them serious long shots, at best. But so is everyone else, at this point.
16 Comments
Howard Hines
Cardinal Burke would be a dream come true were he to be elected Pope. He would have the Church back in working order in due time. With all of the rankles and politicizing among some, I don’t think the good Cardinal has a chance. Oremus!
Todd
I don’t know if Cardinal Burke would be a dream come true as pope. But it might usher in a more speedy reform and hasten the day to the next council.
Culture warriors have often found themselves crumbling in the spotlight. Bishop Finn has gone from thundering about going to prison to avoiding prison and tackling such secular pillars as the NCR.
People wanted Jesus to take the hard line with the secular world, too. Somehow I think the Gospel was preached far more effectively by the apostolic way, not the Karl Rove method.
John
“Despite those drawbacks, Ranjith may still be the most plausible Asian candidate”, Exactly what drawbacks are you talking about, Communion on the tongue and kneeling? Seriously……..
Jay
It came from the National Catholic Reporter, what would you expect from the Episcopal Church’s main newspaper?
John Doe
We all need to pray for one thing.
The new Pope will be as good at converting the tithes of the millions of faithful around the world in money for the defense of pedophiles.
That is the only thing maintaining the church.
That is only thing tithing has accomplished for the last decade or so. That is only thing the Church can allow tithing to accomplish for the next decade or so.
Bernard J Shea
In the Name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen—– Come Holy Ghost Fill the hearts of thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy divine love send forth Thy spirit, they shall be created, and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.—-O God Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. through Christ our Lord. Amen.
John McIntosh
The whole reality of politics influencing the election of the pope: will he be liberal, conservative, usher in change under Vatican III or repeal Vatican II demonstrates in principal a hard truth — the Pope is just a man doing the best he can to guide a huge organization. He is not god on earth, has no special insight or wisdom that other Christian’s don’t have. It is doubtful if he has the authority the church (and popes) have claimed he has (in theory and in practicability as the power heads don’t really listen to him anyway). The church doesn’t really believe this vicar on earth and infallibility stuff — it is useful fictions to generate a perception of power and authority to maintain control over people.
Jay
We always appreciate a Protestant perspective, thank you
Giacomo
Being associated with the Curia does not necessarily equate to being part of the problem. Some familiarity with what has been going on is essential to the task of reform.
Kimberly Riddell
If the Cardinals demand to the given the entire contents of the third secret of Fatima, they would be able to make an informed decision. The part given in 2000 tells of a bishop in white. For the first time in christian history we will have a bishop dressed in white.
Dale
The pope is bishop of Rome, and traditionally wears white.
David.P.J.
Let us pray that the Holy Ghost inspires and directs the Cardinals to choose Cardinal Raymond Burke as we Traditionals beseech Our merciful God .Let us seek the help of Our Blessed Mother.She is our Hope.
If God chooses otherwise, Cardinal Ranjith , in His plan for the present times let us be thankful and pray for him.May our Lord deliver us by saturday from our anxiety and worries.
terriage
How could a Pope come from a place where it is considered politically incorrect to say ”MERRY CHRISTMAS” on television or any other public arena???
This church here is exactly what is wrong with the universal church.
Bill
The Church needs another St. Pius X. Were I voting for a “papal sheriff,” I’d choose Fr. Gregory Hesse because with him in office, Vatican II’s novelties would vanish. As he said in a lecture I heard, Vatican II belonged ,”in the trash can.”
Bill
Sadly, Fr. Hesse died six or seven years ago.
parsely
New Pope (God help him) won’t make any difference.
It is childish to think putting women in as Catholic clergy or Popes brings in all good automatically. If the Baptists were rampant with pedophiles would putting Baptist women in as ministers clean it up?? Common sense would not suggest that. Unless you chose to believe all single people are pedophiles. Does being single cause someone to become a pedophile? Remember how putting women in Congress would change everything?? Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA) is a leader in passing laws to take people’s guns away.
The condom prevents conception–no abortion involved–if a light ray gadget was invented that was easier to use than condoms & prevented conception the Catholic Church would probably be against that too.
The fact that the Pope wants to be a humble and holy man is good, but not having had a lung since he was 15 is bad. You need 2 lungs to have your brain develop normally so you can think clearly, he only has one. Probably was why he was slower in putting on the official robes before he walked to the balcony. It makes you slower (in order to survive). He will be politically manipulated. Read up on living with one lung if you don’t believe this. Our elections are fixed so this was prob. fixed too for a purpose.
The Popes should stop railing against the homosexual pretend “marriages” and spend more effort helping Catholics heal themselves like they used to, with herbs and natural methods, (rather than lung surgery).
The Church popularized anti-abortion, rather than popularizing the natural healing of people like H.R. Clark, Ph.D., Raymond Rife, Dr.Gerson, many others.
The Catholic Church advertizes natural family planning through the thermal rhythm method—WHAT HAPPENED TO NATURAL FAMILY HEALING OF DISEASE BY NATURAL SAFE MEANS??! They used to. The monks of old were known for their herbal formulas and such for disease prevention.
Why is only the rhythm method of birth control left from all that????????
No one wonders or cares.