In a pre-conclave meeting, an Italian cardinal, and backer of Cardinal Parolin as next pope, attacked Pope Francis for opening positions of responsibility in the church to men and women not in holy orders.
May 4, 2025, the Third Sunday of Easter: Pope Francis’s recent death invites reflection on the office of Peter’s successor. This Sunday’s readings, meanwhile, are grounded in the shifting experiences of Peter the Apostle.
As we prepare for a new papacy, an important question faces the church: What foundations do we inherit from Pope Francis’ bold reimagining of Catholic moral theology? How will the church carry forward the vision he nurtured—a vision both thoroughly traditional and courageously new?