Will the Next Pope Be “Synodal”?

In Le Point of July 28, Massimo Faggioli, professor in the department of theology and religious sciences at Villanova University in Philadelphia (United States) affirms that the “next Pope will not necessarily be a Francis II.” To the question: Will the next Pope necessarily be of Bergoglian essence?, the academic answers: “Yes and no.”

“For example, Bergoglio was made cardinal by John Paul II, but that did not prevent us from seeing a pontificate with great differences from that of the Polish pope. On the other hand, it is more likely, statistically speaking, that the next pope will be [a cardinal] appointed by Francis himself, but that does not mean that he will be a Francis II. There are never any guarantees, and even less so today.”

He specifies: “When they opened the Electoral College to cardinals from nearly 60 countries, they ended up with a larger, more global college which faces more complex themes, such as China, the environment, moral questions. And so, a cardinal who comes from Asia or the Pacific, even if he was chosen by Francis, will read any question in a way that might be very different from that of a Latin American. Today, there are no more cardinals who automatically respond to what the Vatican tells them.”

However, for Massimo Faggioli, the synod on synodality will be like the touchstone of the next pontificate: “This synod, as a movement, as a discussion, is the greatest event that has happened to the Catholic Church since Vatican II. This will leave an imprint against which the next pope, whoever he may be, will have to position himself: he can ignore it, but he can also pursue it.”

“I think that beyond knowing whether the cardinals want a European, African, or Asian pope, many will ask themselves: do we want a pope for synodality and, if so, for what synodality? This will, in my opinion, be high on the list of factors to consider. Because this synod is an enormous thing that Francis has placed at the center of the Church.”

Free the Church From Progressives

For his part, Héctor Aguer, Archbishop emeritus of La Plata, Argentina – where he was the predecessor of Victor Manuel Fernández, who became prefect (very Bergoglian) of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith – does not waste time wondering who the future pope will be, but instead draws up a list of priority tasks awaiting a pope who would like to restore order in the Church.

It was published on Aldo Maria Valli's blog on August 31: “When friends ask me to outline the profile of who should be for me the successor of the languishing Francis (taking into account the very serious situation of the Church, masked by Vatican propaganda), I reply that the exorbitant number of red berets makes it impossible to hypothesize even one name. However, I am trying to outline the issues that the successor will face.”

“First of all, the next pope must assure the Truth of authentic Catholic doctrine, to overcome the progressive myths that undermine it and that the current pontiff is raising to dogmas. The light comes from the New Testament, from the apostolic work of the twelve apostles and from St. Paul: a mandate transmitted to the successors.” […]

“St. Paul never tires of exhorting, as has the Church throughout the ages: “Be vigilant in all things.” This is what the Inquisition did in the face of heresies and schisms. This task makes the work of evangelization and the fulfillment of the ministry burdensome to perfection. One of the progressive tricks is to disqualify this effort as contrary to Christianity. In the comparison between the New Testament and the worldly conception of the Church, the current pontificate has lost its way.”

Doctrine, Liturgy, Seminaries

The Argentine prelate then details the priorities, firstly doctrinal: “The new pope must lead the Church on the path indicated by the Pauline exhortation; this is what the mystical Bride of Christ did in her best times. It is essential to claim the truth of doctrine, neglected and undermined by relativism.”

“Progressive approaches have enclosed the Church within the confines of practical reason, whose moralism has replaced the contemplative dimension proper to the faith, and the proposal of the fullness to which all the faithful are called, according to the vocation to holiness which flows from baptism.”

Then, he indicates the liturgical priorities: “Along with doctrinal restoration, the restoration of the liturgy must be sought which, by its nature, must be exact, solemn, and beautiful. This is especially true for the Roman rite, ruined by improvisation that rejects the ritual character of the liturgical mystery.”

“Francis's motu proprio Traditionis custodes arbitrarily imposes the opposite of what Benedict XVI had reoriented, in the spirit of freedom recovered according to the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. The mystical and aesthetic dimensions of the sacramental character of the liturgy must be recovered. The Eastern churches are also called to strengthen their respective traditions, overcoming the contagion of desacralization which has struck the Roman rite.”

Aguer comes to the formation of future priests: “Recent history shows that throughout the world the imposition of progressivism has led to the corruption of traditional seminaries, marked by deficient theology and the ideology of “openness” under the guise of an alleged aggiornamento.”

“The misunderstanding took shape when evangelization began to be reversed: instead of converting the world to the truth and grace of Christ, the Church converted to the world, losing her decisive identity. Several generations of priests have been trained with these erroneous criteria. It is a process of decadence that must be reversed.”

“The seminary as an institution is still valid. Alternative ways have been tried in the past which did not achieved the desired results. The reestablishment of the seminary does not involve a simple copying of what existed before the general breakdown. The institution can adapt to the new situation and new needs.”

“However, these must be recognized with sobriety and discretion, avoiding an exhibition that would allow the progressive administration – which will not disappear immediately – to activate its resources of proscription until the new pontificate is fully installed.” This last remark on necessary prudence shows that Aguer is far from being naive.

Restoring the Family

He then addresses the question of the family: “The family founded on marriage has been replaced by the “couple,” which is not at all indissoluble, and, therefore, can be modified later. I will not speak of what is wrongly called “marriage equality.” Marriage as a reality of civil value has disappeared; sacramental marriage does not involve any difficulty for those who must bless it, as is their duty.”

“I do not believe that Catholic spouses are aware that they are called to be ministers of a sacrament that they give to each other. Closely linked to the question of family is that of the value of human life, a subject which constitutes a very important chapter of Christian morality.”

“The next pontificate will have to face a more than necessary task: overcoming the negative legacy of ‘aggiornamento,’ crowned by the current progressivism. He must save moral theology from the relativism that holds it hostage and, in this enterprise, he will have to resolve the drama of Humanae vitae.”

“This encyclical, published on July 25, 1968, was not accepted by large sectors of the Church: several episcopal conferences spoke out against it, encouraged by the unanimity of the press, which embodied public opinion.”

“There was great confusion among the faithful, so much so that many of them justify the practice of using the means that Paul VI's encyclical objectively declared immoral. Rome must take up the arguments of this text to prove its truth, taking into account the fulfillment of the provisions of Humanae vitae.”

“The crisis triggered by this encyclical continued into the new millennium. The misunderstanding has produced a situation analogous to the crises triggered by dogmatic questions in the early days of Christianity. The next pontificate will have to untie this knot. The call for the intercession of the Knotenlöserin [Mary un-doer of knots] is inevitable: Mary is indeed the one who ‘undoes knots.’”

The Church and the Modern World

At the end, the Argentine prelate broadens his analysis: “The problems that I have spoken of are chapters of a broader question: the relationship of the Church with the so-called ‘modern world,’ which was not resolved by the Second Vatican Council, but on the contrary was aggravated by it, because of the illusions of a new Gnosticism.”

“The doctrines of Karl Rahner and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin have monopolized the attention of Catholic theology: Rahner's theory of the ‘anonymous Christian’ and Teilhardian evolution have had an undeniable influence on Christian thought in the 20th century.” […]

“There is an event that explains the tone in which the aforementioned question of the relationship between the Church and the world was conceived. John XXIII wanted the representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church to participate as observers in the conciliar debates. Cardinal Eugène Tisserant was charged with conducting the necessary negotiations to ensure this participation and an agreement was reached: the Orthodox would participate on the condition that the Council refrained from condemning communism.”

“Two Russian Orthodox prelates (who were probably Kremlin spies) actually participated. The episode is eloquent in showing the spirit with which Vatican II approached relations between the Church and the world. But we must also add the naive optimism inspired from the beginning by Pope Roncalli, who in his opening speech severely accused the ‘prophets of doom.’ Of course, he was [in the eyes of progressives] the ‘good pope.’”

And he concludes concisely: “In this note, I have collected some of the problems in which the Church is mired. They are not the only ones, but I consider them priorities and the next pontiff will not be able to ignore them. In short, it is a matter of freeing the Church from the mortal scourge of progressivism.”

A Lesson from St. Pius X

This list of priorities is very accurate, but it will seem unrealistic to some, because it is unachievable. This is why it is useful to read the August 23 article by Roberto de Mattei in Corrispondenza romana, entitled “St. Pius X and the Imponderable That Awaits Us.” The Catholic historian recalls: “The imponderable, the unpredictable, is what cannot be foreseen and planned by man. It exists, it is part of our life, but it is not chance.”

“Chance, which is the absence of meaning of events, does not exist. Everything that happens, in fact, in our life and that of the entire universe, has a meaning. Only God knows the meaning of everything, and He alone gives meaning to everything, but history, as St. Bonaventure states, hides within itself spiritual light and intelligence.”

“It is possible that apparently unpredictable events are not, because they are organized by occult forces which seek to direct history, but often even these events have unforeseen consequences, because only God is the master of history, and no matter how much man tries to govern it, he never succeeds.”

He adds, applying the principles to present circumstances: “One hundred and twenty years after the election of St. Pius X, the chaos in which we are immersed is the ultimate outcome of a revolutionary process that has remote origins and centuries-old dynamism. . . .”

“Revolutionary forces today seek to dominate the process they have generated by relying on artificial intelligence algorithms, but any such attempt is doomed to failure. Mathematics can, on the basis of calculations, construct conventional representations of the world, but it is incapable of understanding the metaphysical nature of reality.”

“The science of algorithms does not serve to understand the world and does not erase the imponderability of the future. […] The use of logic is not enough without the exercise of faith. In fact, as Fr. Roger-Thomas Calmel observes, God manifests Himself in historical events, but on condition that we carry in our hearts that supernatural light which transcends and judges them.”

And Roberto de Mattei gives this conclusion full of faith, borrowed from St. Pius X: “One hundred and twenty years after the election of St. Pius X, his first encyclical E supremi apostolatus, of October 4, 1903, projects on our confused age the supernatural light necessary to understand contemporary events.”

“Aiming at the terrible conditions in which mankind found itself, Pius X affirmed:  ‘Verily, no one of sound mind can doubt the issue of this contest between man and the Most High. Man, abusing his liberty, can violate the right and the majesty of the Creator of the Universe, but the victory will ever be with God – nay, defeat is at hand at the moment when man, under the delusion of his triumph, rises up with most audacity.”

“With this trust in Divine Providence and through the intercession of St. Pius X, let us discern and courageously face the imponderable that awaits us.”