Conclave: A Mediocre College of Cardinals?

He believed that the Pope, even if he were able to return to Santa Marta, had his own burden of chronic and degenerative illnesses. "The Holy Father is at the end of his life, due to his age, his illnesses, and their characteristics," Luis Badilla asserts, "because his clinical situation suggests that the crises will gradually become more frequent." It was an accurate medical prognosis.

Consequently, Luis Badilla then examined the qualifications of the prelates who will make up the next conclave, and noted a "well-founded doubt that has been circulating for several years: the average level of preparation and competence of the new cardinals has declined considerably with Francis's appointments.”

"From what we have seen in recent years, it does not seem that there are enlightened minds within the College of Cardinals, endowed with great moral rectitude. However, the times we are living in are the same ones in which the Church has been called upon to find high-level figures to help it overcome the great global crises of civilization."

According to him, "the cardinals who speak most to the press, although they are collaborators of the Supreme Pontiff, do not fly higher than any bishop of an average diocese. There is a blatant lack of grandeur, vision, and purpose.”

"It's all business as usual: papolatry, which is hardly useful. They don't look like clergymen eager to put themselves out in service of the Church. They easily reveal themselves as clerics who do everything to put the Church at their service."

And he concludes, without any illusions about the episcopal staff as a whole: "In the diocesan nomenklatura, from one end of the world to the other, the motto is the same: change today, as yesterday, as tomorrow; the important thing is to stay afloat. Many believe it's a matter of love and loyalty to the Pope, the successor of Peter, [which is] a true and real thing. But many are more concerned with their own interests, namely, using the Church to further their careers."

Cardinal Müller spoke about the qualities of the future pope on March 3rd on LifeSiteNews: "I hope that there is in the College of Cardinals a deeper reflection about the condition and the situation of faith and the Church in this post-Christian or anti-Christian world, the Western world.”

"Also taking into account the challenges of Islam, or the worldwide growing Marxism in different forms, the 'Green Movement,' ‘genderism,’ and transhumanism. We spoke at the beginning about Marxism, but there is a deeply anti-Christian sentiment against creation, against revelation, and against redemption by God. Ideologies and these groups like George Soros's Open Society Foundations, the Rockefellers—they are promoting a strong anti-Christian ideology."

He added: "The cardinals must be aware that we are not only looking at what will be the reactions of the mass media, saying, 'We need a pope who is a communicator in this world.' Or secondary criteria that 'now we need an African, or now we return to an Italian,’ or all these stupid criteria. They have nothing to do with the papacy." 

Two Papabili Among Many Others

To conclude this overview of the situation in Rome, let us mention the names of two recently emerged papabili, one from the progressive camp, the other from the more or less moderate conservative camp.

In La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana of February 22, Nico Spuntoni recalls that Pope Bergoglio's supporters believe that "the Church goes forward," that there is "no going back," and that the path to follow is that of "reforms to be carried out and a synodal style that must become practice." With this in mind, they are preparing "a candidacy centered on the watchword of the current pontificate: synodality."

"For this progressive group, the name to be inscribed in the Sistine Chapel would be that of Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech. Indeed, the Synod's Secretary General is considered more ‘digestible’ to uncertain voters than the true ideologue, Hollerich [Cardinal Archbishop of Luxembourg]."

"His place of origin in the center of the Mediterranean and the contacts cultivated in recent years with bishops from all over the world, thanks to his long synodal career, would represent, in the eyes of his supporters, two added values ​​to a curriculum vitae already rich in diocesan and curial experience. The core business of such a pontificate would be the implementation of Cardinal Hollerich's ultra-liberal program.”

On the moderate conservative side, in The Remnant of February 17, Gaetano Masciullo considers that "the Church, after the death of Bergoglio, will need a very courageous and strong pope, but above all, a young one, who knows how to resolutely remedy all the damage caused in these years." 

"It will take, barring unforeseen circumstances, at least twenty years to put things right from a liturgical, doctrinal, moral, and legislative points of view, not to mention the management problems of the Vatican, of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), and many other serious issues that have arisen well before this pontificate.”

Under these conditions, "If the cardinals want to pursue the true path of Catholic counter-revolution, they will need a young candidate, and in the current pool, very few would be suitable for this project, except perhaps Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa (59 years old), also created by Francis."

He also provided a portrait of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem: "Italian Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa is considered by some to be 'too young,' but perhaps this very element could favor him (let us not forget the logic that elevated the young Wojtyla to the Petrine Throne). His experience and his governance skills emerge from his long service in a crucial and complex region like the Holy Land.”

"This experience gives him a balanced view and an ability to dialogue with the various religious and political communities present in the region. His biblical and linguistic training is another distinctive element."

 "Considered a man of balance and openness, he is capable of combining faithfulness to Tradition with a careful look at modernity. His Franciscan spirituality and his attention to the poor and the suffering are further elements that could make him appealing even to members of the Francis Party."

For those wishing to keep abreast of developments in speculation about the papabili, they can refer to the English-language website Cardinalium Collegii Recensio [The College of Cardinals Report]. This site is regularly updated.