Why We Need a Pope From Africa
The Catholic Church needs to look to the African continent to lead us through the present and coming challenges assailing our faith. Here’s why.
How Young May the Next Pope Be?
Elderly popes had been the norm for several reasons. Wisdom, of course, comes with age. So does a proven track record. Near-octogenarians have also been elected as “stop-gaps,” such as John XXIII
So Many Cardinals, So Few Seats?
At 252, the College of Cardinals is at an all-time high, with members hailing from a record 94 countries. Since 1975, only those under the age of eighty are permitted to vote.
Lenten Prayer and Fasting for Holy Leadership in the Church
For those who occasionally doubt the efficacy of prayer and fasting—myself included, mea culpa—we need only recall how divine intervention has very recently changed the course of history.
Geopolitics and Papal Elections
If you have any doubt that geopolitics should play a role in papal elections, think of this: while choosing someone to step into the shoes of the poor fisherman from Galilee, the cardinals are also electing the head of a sovereign, juridical entity.
The Coming Trumpian Pope
As we pray for the Holy Father in his final agony, we wonder who the next pope will be and pray he will be a Trumpian pope, a bull in the china shop who will “make a mess.”
The Pope I Pray For
I must admit to having—as every Catholic must—an idea of what I would wish for from and in a pope.
Will Lay People Vote in the Next Papal Conclave?
Pope Francis is contemplating radically revising how the next pope is elected; among the revisions is the inclusion of papally-appointed lay electors.
Rome Is Falling! Rome Is Falling!
The next papal election will be more important than the next presidential election.
What Can We Expect From the Next Pope? (Guest: Charles Coulombe)
Pope Francis is still going strong, but he’s not a young man and eventually his time here on earth will pass. What will the next pope face in the wake of this controversial pontificate?