The next pontiff could come from Africa, Italy, or Sri Lanka — possibly even America — but it’s likely that whoever is elected to follow Pope Francis, who died Monday at age 88, will nudge the Catholic Church back to the ideological center, experts said.
During Francis’ 12-year reign leading the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, the late pope’s support for LGBTQ Catholics and suppression of the traditional Latin Mass were among moves that rankled conservatives in the church.
Now, “whoever is elected will be of a centrally conservative disposition; after 12 years of Pope Francis ‘stirring things up,’” said Serenhedd James, editor of Britain’s Catholic Herald magazine.
“I think the cardinals will want someone who will take a different, calmer approach.”
According to the Rev. Patrick Mary Briscoe, editor of Our Sunday Visitor magazine, the next pope will bring “a renewed clarity of doctrine” to the church and “focused more internally” on its governance.