Preparing for the Pope’s Passing

At the time of this writing, Pope Francis is in critical condition at Gemelli University Hospital in Rome with a complex case of pneumonia in both lungs and early-stage kidney failure. Before all else, we pray for his well-being and peace. But death is in the air. The Swiss Guard have held funeral rehearsals. The pontiff has shared his plan to relinquish the papal triple-interlocking casket and confided that he doesn’t believe he will survive this bout. Even before this decline in his fragile health, however, political preparations for the pope’s passing had begun.

For those who haven’t seen the Oscar-nominated Conclave, that flashy film is a startling instance of how important the papacy has become to the powers that be. It is fascinating that such a film exists and has received such attention in its creation and criticism. Though it may easily be passed off as an ideological cloak-and-dagger thriller, Conclave betrays a serious concern that the world has for the Church, though it often acts with dismissive indifference of such stifling religious spiritualism. 

Conclave is not as prophetic as it is perceptive, expressing a deep apprehension about the Church both by its existence and its acclaim. It bespeaks a dread that the liberals will lose their foothold after Pope Francis dies. Bishop Robert Barron said that Catholics should “run away” from Conclave—and perhaps they should. But the film provides, in its warning, a revealing glimpse into an acknowledged significance of the Catholic Church, and it is interesting to witness such a compliment from the Hollywood mouthpiece of the cunning enemy.

Liberals are fearful to surrender the territory they see as held by the attitude and atmosphere of Pope Francis’ “who-am-I-to-judge” papacy. It’s true that this pope has not been a strong defender of the deposit of faith—for all the good and true that he has stood for—and in that, the Left has often hailed him as an ally for their progressive agenda, insidiously interpreting his casual comments to support suggestions of the Church moving toward things like the acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle, transgenderism, and religiously-inclusive pachamama worship.

There is an apologia brewing for the spirit of the Francis papacy as secular stakeholders recoil to lose his fast-and-loose presence in the Vatican with the same vehemence as they recoil at Donald Trump’s fast-and-furious return to the White House. There is a warning sounding about the influence of the papacy and the power of Catholics that could usher a backward slide to a neolithic idiocy that hates homosexuals and loves dead languages. The prospect of a pope getting explicit about the woke agenda, or freeing the Latin Mass from its restrictions, or recommitting Catholics to the bedrock of traditional Church teaching is a horror that Conclave captures, and one that is swirling in the political storm gathering over Francis’ sickbed in anticipation of a deathbed.

Pope Francis is well aware of his danger and the danger of the political situation. He initially resisted going to the hospital for his respiratory infection but was informed that he would risk dying if he remained in his Vatican apartment. Facing the possibility of his imminent passing, the pope has made several appointments and arrangements that might prove sympathetic to his inclusive legacy—a legacy that has caused much division and complaint from conservative Catholics.

One of the moves Pope Francis made before his hospitalization was unilaterally extending the term of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re as the Dean of the College of Cardinals. This is the prelate who will oversee the preparation and the performance of the conclave after the pope passes away, as well as the funeral rites for Francis. This decision was controversial as it canceled a scheduled vote for a new dean by certain high-ranking cardinals—but Francis explained that he wanted to keep Re in the position because he would be, reportedly, “kinder” to him than others. 

This unconventional reappointment, and the 163 appointments Francis has made to the 252-member college (138 of whom are eligible to vote at the conclave), seems to suggest his own preparations regarding the selection of the next pope—and his efforts to ensure that the papacy will carry on according to his intentions. While Cardinal Re is too old to be a part of the conclave, he is an influential figure close to Francis, who will almost certainly be concerned to see his legacy conserved and continued. The conclave that elected Pope Francis was allegedly swayed by a group of older, non-voting cardinals, and the lobbying is, no doubt, well underway. The next pope may already be earmarked for all intents and purposes.

Such power-leveraging machinations may not be new to the papacy, but their clear presence is symptomatic of one of the largest problems with Pope Francis’ pontificate: namely, it has been too political. From his off-the-cuff comments that seemed to legitimize Left-leaning relativists, both within and without the Church, to his overt antagonism toward tradition and continuous political posturing, Francis has given far too much fodder to the world to paint him and the “changing Church” in their rainbow colors. It is remarkable how light Francis has been on theology and how heavy he has been in the tabloids.  Such power-leveraging machinations may not be new to the papacy, but their clear presence is symptomatic of one of the largest problems with Pope Francis’ pontificate: namely, it has been too political. Tweet This

With Trump’s reelection, Pope Francis has picked up more or less where he left off regarding his condemnation of Trump’s position on illegal immigration. Many may recall his questioning Trump’s Christianity by desiring to build walls instead of bridges. But pro-abortion Joe Biden is a “good Catholic.” In recent weeks, Francis started a spat with Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert, through a strongly-worded letter to the USCCB denouncing “mass deportations.” In it, Francis implicitly rebuked Vance’s citing St. Augustine’s principle of Ordo Amoris to defend the “America First” policies of the Trump administration. 

It’s a perfect example of how the pope injects himself into politics and shows his appreciation for the effect he has on politics, whether in Ukraine, Gaza, or the United States. Francis’ indirect reprimand of the Vice President prompted angry rebuttals from the White House, making the political tension thick between Washington and the Vatican. Perhaps President Trump should stop teasing the annex of Canada or the purchase of Greenland and instead push to make the Vatican the 51st state. Trump is not above global political influence in wielding the art of the deal, and the conclave has become a global political event. It would be interesting to see a purge of the Church according to the DOGE model, especially given how seemingly poorly Church leaders have gone about eradicating corruption, and I wouldn’t put it past Trump to swing something with the right man in Rome.

Francis’ letter to the USCCB has cemented his confrontation not only against Trump but also with the conservative spheres of the U.S. Catholic Church. As though anticipating or even inviting political conflict, Francis appointed the progressive Cardinal Robert McElroy, a Trump denigrator and defender of illegal immigrants, as the archbishop of Washington, D.C. And in this corner, Trump nominated an ultraconservative Catholic ambassador to the Vatican in Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote and critic of Pope Francis. So much for the separation of Church and State.

Whether Pope Francis outlasts this illness or not, at 88 years old, the fact is he isn’t long for this world—and Catholics must prepare through prayer and not politics. Francis has infused too much politics into his pontificate already, and it’s troubling enough. It isn’t hard to read the pope’s recent actions as seeking to secure the reform he has by all appearances worked to introduce. Even his selection of the first female governor of Vatican City in Sr. Raffaella Petrini, to replace the retiring Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, which comes into effect on March 1, is part and parcel with a shift from custom that will be the hallmark of this pontificate. Just as Francis began his papacy 12 years ago by refusing the mozzetta, he will close his papacy with fresh breaks from ancient tradition.

Again, Catholics must prepare through prayer while the world prepares through politics. It’s difficult for children to prepare for the death of a father with whom they have a strained relationship. But that relationship is a holy one, notwithstanding, and Catholics must allow their trust in God and faith in the one true Church of Jesus Christ to bring grace to this painful point in salvation history. The pope is not the only one in critical condition, and Catholics must put aside their grievances and set their prayer sights on a pope who will quiet the political interference that has beset the Church and prepare for this death as only Catholics can. May God grant Pope Francis and his flock healing and holiness.