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Summer is a good time to read. There are several books being published about a fascinating topic: who will be our next pope? The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates by Edward Pentin comes out August 4, 2020 and I'll review it here, at Catholic365.com.
Author Edward Pentin writes for the National Catholic Register out of Rome, Italy. I know that his reporting is fair, thorough, and relevant. I expect the book, a review of the top candidates who may become our next pope, shall be informative.
The Catholic Church's process to pick a pope is called the conclave, its defintion: the assembly of cardinals gathered to elect a new pope and the system of strict seclusion to which they submit. Conclave means “to turn a key.” (https://www.britannica.com/topic/conclave)
I recall as a little girl having a picture card of Pope Paul VI and looking at it with great affection. Back then we expected all the popes would be Italian. Of course Pope John Paul I's sudden death followed by the election of a Polish pope, St. John Paul II, changed that perception. With Pope Benedict's early retirement, and Pope Francis being from Argentina, the one thing Catholics have come to expect is the unexpected regarding our Church.
The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates includes biographies of nineteen top candidates, one which will likely be elected our next Holy Father. It offers a peek into their roles as bishops: to sanctify, to govern, and to teach.
During a recent interview about Pentin's book with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, Crux editor John L. Allen, and Church historian Roberto De Mattei it was discussed that many of the cardinals don't know each other. This means that during the next conclave, most cardinals have no personal experience on how a particular man who may be elected our pope will lead us.
Pope Francis has appointed many new cardinals during his pontificate. It remains to be seen how this will impact our future. Some of Pope Francis' appointed cardinals who will be voting for the next pope are from dioceses that haven't traditionally been a part of the process. How this will impact our Church is unknown.
We should pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance for the Church. Still, the conclave meetings that pick our next pope are a political process. Politics is the way human beings organize institutions. Therefore, the fact that Pope Francis has put forth so many cardinals during his reign will have an impact.
The one wild card that can't be ignored is the COVID19 pandemic. The pandemic has deeply scarred the faithful Catholic laity. Politically motivated world leaders and our own bishops denied us Holy Communion, Confession, Last Rites, and even funerals for months, and this has created distrust. Many Catholics have questioned whether our leaders understand our needs.
What makes a successful government, whether it is secular or religious, is good people. Governing is a team sport. But, there has to be a shared ideology or nothing will be accomplished. I think Pope Francis must also understand politics. I believe he has a desire to see one of his own appointees elected.
I am not sure exactly how Pope Francis will be judged years from now, but he has made an imprint upon our Church. Yet, the next pope may continue his vision or reverse it.
A book about who will lead our much loved Church is exactly the kind of summer book a year of pandemic requires.
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How to preorder a copy of The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates:
https://www.sophiainstitute.com/products/item/the-next-pope
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Link to panel discussion about The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates
by Edward Pentin:
A long time ago I thought I was a writer. Because my parents were practical, I went into teaching. About ten years ago, I began to write again.
I hold a B.S. degree in Elementary Education from Penn State University (University Park). I enjoy gardening, reading, Pittsburgh sports, and cooking, but not in that order. My regular job is being a wife and mother.
