Since the death of Pope Francis, Catholics around the world have posed questions about his successor: Will he carry forward Francis’ legacy of mercy, justice and reform? Will he be a shepherd who reaches out to the peripheries or one who turns to tradition? Will he have the courage to unite the faithful in hope, as Francis did, in a world increasingly divided?
While senior America staffers on the ground in Rome cover the conclave, the 2024-25 America O’Hare fellows asked questions closer to home. Connor Hartigan, Leilani Fuentes and Grace Lenahan asked seven parish priests what they are hoping for in the next pope, and what pressing questions they believe the Catholic Church faces today. The responses below have been edited for length and clarity.
As a priest, I hope they choose a shepherd according to God’s heart—one who can speak to the winds of our age and continue the renewal of the Second Vatican Council through synodality, integral ecology, fraternity and a courageous spirit of dialogue. May he be a builder of unity—not through uniformity, but by honoring the richness of the church’s diversity and fostering true communion rooted in truth, justice and love. I pray for a pope with a prophetic voice, unafraid to speak with clarity and compassion, who will challenge the world with the Gospel. One who embodies the church that “goes out”—that searches, finds and embraces the lost, the wounded, the forgotten. We need a pontiff who can promote peace in a world scarred by violence, division and war, and who has the wisdom to face new global challenges—including the ethical and human questions raised by artificial intelligence. A pope who does not retreat from complexity, but engages it with the light of faith and the dignity of the human person.
Enzo Del Brocco, C.P.
Church of Our Saviour
New York, N.Y.
As a parish priest, I pray daily that the cardinals will be inspired by the Spirit to elect a successor to Francis who will continue to preach, and live, his message of welcome and inclusion in our church. I also hope for a successor who will be boldly prophetic in calling for renewed efforts to address the needs of the poor in our world, and to act with greater urgency in addressing the global climate crisis. A pope with a strong prophetic voice will help sustain my own efforts to be such a voice in the small part of the church and the world that I serve.
Mark Hallinan, S.J.
Church of St. Ignatius Loyola
New York, N.Y.
While so many are hopeful about personal favorites among those deemed papabili, I’m simply asking the Holy Spirit every day to bring the church the one we need who will carry out God’s deepest desires for the church. I’m hopeful that among God’s desires is energizing the church in order to transform the world and bring about the peace that Christ offers.
Rev. Msgr. Robert M. Kinnally
St. Aloysius Parish
New Canaan, Conn.
What I hope for from the new Holy Father is that he may be a man faithful to the Word of God, that he may love the Eucharist, that he is a man of prayer and that he is open to the inspirations from the Holy Spirit.
The urgent questions the church in the United States must face are immigration, abortion and the need for more priests. Mt 9:37: “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.’” (translated from Spanish))
Rev. Oscar López
Resurrection Church
Escondido, Calif.
I would like a spiritual father who listens to people and their struggles and helps them find their way to God.
Russell Pollitt, S.J.
Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Johannesburg, South Africa
I believe in the prophetic voice of the papacy, the voice of Peter and his successors. My prayer is that the next pope carries on speaking in that Petrine and prophetic way, bringing truth and love to this century—even if it disturbs me. I am speaking spiritually here.
I would also love it if the next pope truly empathizes with parishes, parishioners, parish priests and parish ministries. With the next pope, I would love to celebrate the truly local graces that God gives us in the smaller corners of the church. I want to worry less about what the next motu proprio will command and more simply feel loved and supported by our Holy Father. And listened to. I do feel that the voices of parishes and parish priests were not very present in recent synodal gatherings, for example. To put it bluntly: At things like synods on synodality, parish priests and pastors should outnumber or at least equal non-parochial voices, those pastorally more remote voices like directors of organizations and academics, as important as those voices undoubtedly are.
I would hope for a pope who is able to be a moral voice in a world which is largely at sea at this time. Like Pope Francis, I think we need a Holy Father who can speak out in an increasingly divided global context, a man who speaks truth to power on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised.
Rev. Joshua Whitfield
St. Rita Catholic Community
Dallas, Tex.
I hope for a new pope who is madly in love with Christ, so that everything he does flows from that deep relationship with God. I would love to see a continuation of Pope Francis’ vision—a church that reaches those on the peripheries and opens its arms to all. I’m looking for a spiritual father who leads with humility, joy and a bold commitment to evangelization. Most of all, I hope he empowers the laity to live their faith fully and help renew the church from within.
Rev. Peter Wojcik
St. Clement Parish
Chicago, Ill.
