1. A Contender for the Papacy Known for Promoting Dialogue With Other Faiths, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline comes from the diverse port city of Marseille in France., By Emma Bubola, The New York Times, May 1, 2025, 6:26 AM
Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, seen by some as a potential future pope, is admired for his bridge-building leadership, interfaith dialogue, and a pastoral style that mirrors Pope Francis, though he maintains more traditional views on church doctrine. Known for his humility and simplicity, Aveline has risen through the church with the support of Francis, despite challenges such as limited Vatican experience and lack of fluency in Italian. While not a favorite among traditionalists, his supporters highlight his pragmatism and ability to connect with diverse communities, especially in multicultural Marseille. His balanced stance—neither progressive nor conservative—has fueled speculation that he could unify the church in a time of division.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/world/europe/aveline-pope-conclave-contender.html
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2. Meet the conclave: Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, How the Holy Land shaped his faith and leadership., By The Pillar, May 1, 2025
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, born in northern Italy, joined the Franciscan order early and spent over three decades in the Holy Land, deeply engaging in interfaith dialogue and pastoral care for Hebrew-speaking Catholics. His experiences studying in Jerusalem and grappling with the challenge of explaining Christian beliefs, particularly the Resurrection, shaped his conviction that the Church must testify to Jesus as Lord through lived experience rather than mere explanation. As Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, he faced financial and political challenges, responding with administrative reforms and a strong call for peace during the Gaza conflict—even offering himself in exchange for hostages. Reflecting on the Church’s future, Pizzaballa believes its current crisis may signal the end of an old model, but also the birth of something new centered on personal encounter with Christ.
https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/meet-the-conclave-cardinal-pierbattista
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3. Parolin may not be China’s preferred conclave candidate, It has begun to appear that China could be laying the groundwork to throttle back a Parolin candidacy — in favor of another papabile., By Ed. Condon, The Pillar, May 1, 2025
The Chinese government is closely monitoring the lead-up to the next papal conclave, particularly eyeing candidates like Cardinals Pietro Parolin and Luis Antonio Tagle, both seen as favorable due to their roles in promoting the controversial Vatican-China deal. While Parolin was once considered Beijing’s top choice, recent signs suggest China may now see Tagle as the better option, possibly due to his less confrontational nature and past willingness to engage without pushing back against authoritarian regimes. Parolin’s reputation has been marred by his dismissive comments about Christian persecution in China, and despite recent efforts to appear more pragmatic, Beijing may view him as increasingly unreliable. Tagle, by contrast, is perceived as both charismatic and non-confrontational, traits that reportedly appeal to the Chinese Communist Party, which values control and predictability in international relations. Ultimately, for Beijing, the choice between the two may come down to which candidate ensures continued influence without resistance—Tagle possibly offering the smoother path.
https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/parolin-may-not-be-chinas-preferred
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4. Italians once ruled the Catholic Church. Will they lead it again?, The last Italian pope died in 1978. Now, among the papal candidates ahead of next week’s conclave, there are several Italian contenders., By Anthony Faiola, Stefano Pitrelli and Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post, May 1, 2025, 5:00 AM
As the 2025 papal conclave approaches, many Italians are cautiously optimistic that the papacy might return to their country for the first time since 1978, with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Matteo Zuppi among the leading contenders. Despite having the most voting cardinals of any nation, Italy’s influence is tempered by internal divisions and a global church increasingly focused on the developing world. Parolin is seen as a centrist diplomat with experience but carries baggage from a secretive China deal and past Vatican scandals, while Zuppi is viewed as a more pastoral and progressive figure. Although some argue an Italian pope would be a step backward, others see practical and symbolic value in choosing someone familiar with the Vatican and its culture during uncertain global times.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/01/pope-italian-zuppi-parolin-vatican/
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5. Africans say a Black pope would be nice to have. But they are not too hopeful, If the next pope is from sub-Saharan Africa, he would be the first in Catholic Church history, By Rodney Muhumuza, Associated Press, May 1, 2025, 3:55 AM
If elected, a sub-Saharan African pope would be a historic first, and while Catholic Africans are hopeful, they remain realistic about the chances. Cardinals Robert Sarah, Peter Turkson, and Fridolin Ambongo are seen as possible contenders, known for their orthodox views reflecting broader African conservatism on issues like same-sex blessings. Though Francis was beloved in Africa for his compassion and attention to regional crises, many Africans say what matters most is electing a holy and unifying pope, regardless of race or nationality. The idea of an African pope excites many as a sign of global inclusion, but the Church’s growing African presence may still face resistance from parts of the global hierarchy.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/01/africa-black-catholics-pope-francis-conclave/4207b174-264b-11f0-ae6d-e4db528eba27_story.html
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6. HHS quits paying for kids’ ‘gender-affirming care’ that was promoted under Biden administration, By Kerry Picket and Stephen Dinan, The Washington Times, May 1, 2025
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that his department has ended funding for gender transition procedures, reversing prior Biden-era support for gender-affirming care for minors. He also stated that HHS is no longer involved in handling unaccompanied migrant children, accusing the previous administration of enabling child trafficking and losing track of approximately 300,000 children. Kennedy pledged aggressive efforts to locate these missing children and reform the system.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/apr/30/hhs-quits-paying-kids-sex-change-surgery/
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7. Cardinals request prayers and confirm election rights, By Patrick Hudson, Bess Twiston Davies, Michael Sean Winters, The Tablet, April 30, 2025
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More than 200,000 people have “adopted a cardinal” to pray for before and during the conclave via the website praycardinal.com.
The site assigns users a cardinal and encourages them to pray for their “physical health and spiritual strength”, and that they be “open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit”, receive “wisdom and clarity of mind as they consider who should lead the Church” and that they may “remain focused on the needs of the Church and the will of God”.
Cardinal Raymond Burke, the former prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura widely perceived as a critic of Pope Francis, asked Catholics to join a novena to Our Lady of Good Counsel beginning on 1 May. He said her intercession was “especially important, given the critical decisions which will be made during the coming days and weeks for the good of the Church and of the whole world”.
Bishop Joseph Strickland, who once accused Pope Francis of “undermining the deposit of faith” and was removed from the Diocese of Tyler, Texas in 2023, began a novena on 28 April to pray for the election of “a holy pope”.
Ashley McGuire, the head of the Catholic Association which advocates for conservative causes, said she hoped a new pope would chart a different course from Pope Francis. “We’re looking for clarity and fearlessness in pronouncing the truth. Church unity is going to be really important,” she said.
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https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/cardinals-request-prayers-and-confirm-election-rights/
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8. Martin Scorsese and Pope Francis teamed to produce a documentary called ‘Aldeas — A New Story’, Martin Scorsese is a producing a documentary made with Pope Francis that will chronicle the late pontiff’s work with cinema in the global educational movement he founded before his death, By Jake Coyle, Associated Press, April 30, 2025, 12:26 AM
Martin Scorsese is producing a documentary titled Aldeas — A New Story, which features his conversations with the late Pope Francis, including the pontiff’s final in-depth on-camera interview. The film focuses on Scholas Occurrentes, the global educational movement founded by Francis, highlighting its youth filmmaking initiative Aldeas across countries like Indonesia, Italy, and the Gambia. Scorsese described the project as a tribute to cinema’s power to foster cross-cultural dialogue and preserve cultural identity, a vision shared with Pope Francis before his death on April 21.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2025/04/30/pope-francis-martin-scoresese-documentary-final-interview/a08c7148-2606-11f0-ae6d-e4db528eba27_story.html
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9. Roberts might hold key Supreme Court vote over first publicly funded religious charter school, Chief Justice John Roberts appears to hold the key vote over whether the Supreme Court will allow the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school, in Oklahoma, By Mark Sherman, Associated Press, April 30, 2025, 6:46 PM
Chief Justice John Roberts appears to hold the deciding vote in a Supreme Court case over whether Oklahoma can fund the nation’s first religious charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The court’s conservative and liberal justices were sharply divided during arguments, with Roberts showing mixed signals—acknowledging past rulings in favor of religious access to public funds while questioning the state’s deep involvement in this case. If Roberts joins the conservatives, it could mark a major shift in church-state separation law; if he sides with the liberals, the Oklahoma court’s ruling blocking the school would stand, but the national question would remain unresolved. The case has broader implications for charter school laws and public education funding, as opponents warn it could erode public school resources and redefine the nature of public charter schools.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/30/supreme-court-religious-catholic-charter-school-oklahoma/ae937546-25b3-11f0-ae6d-e4db528eba27_story.html
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10. Justice Amy Coney Barrett Recuses Herself in a Charter School Case, The justice will not participate in oral argument, deliberations or vote. She gave no explanation, By Abbie VanSickle and Sarah Mervosh, The New York Times, April 30, 2025
Justice Amy Coney Barrett has recused herself from a major Supreme Court case involving a publicly funded religious charter school, without providing a formal reason. Her decision likely stems from her close personal and professional ties to Nicole Stelle Garnett, a Notre Dame professor and early adviser to the school at the center of the case. While Garnett is not directly listed as a lawyer, her advocacy and involvement raise potential conflict concerns, highlighting ongoing debate over the Court’s relatively lenient and self-governed ethics rules.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/us/politics/amy-coney-barrett-recuse.html
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11. The Next Pope Inherits New Tension With Jewish Community Over Israel, Many Jews hope for more understanding from Francis’ successor, By Margherita Stancati and Carrie Keller-Lynn, The Wall Street Journal, April 30, 2025, 10:00 AM
Pope Francis’ death has left many Jews with mixed feelings due to his perceived lack of understanding of Israel’s security concerns and the trauma of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. While Francis was a strong promoter of interfaith dialogue and condemned antisemitism, critics argue he prioritized relations with the Muslim world and failed to fully appreciate the Jewish historical context. His sharp criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza—calling them cruel and likening them to terrorism—deepened tensions, with some Israeli officials calling such comments offensive and inflammatory. The next pope will inherit a delicate and strained relationship with the Jewish community, with many hoping for a return to the warmer ties seen under earlier pontiffs like John Paul II.
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/the-next-pope-inherits-new-tension-with-jewish-community-over-israel-cc751070
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12. Americans’ religious preferences remain mostly unchanged over the last 5 years, poll shows, By Tessa Gervasini, Catholic News Agency, April 30, 2025, 3:07 PM
Recent Gallup polling shows that Americans’ religious affiliations have stabilized since 2020 after decades of significant change. From 2000 to 2020, Protestant and Catholic affiliations declined while the number of nonreligious adults rose sharply, but from 2020 to 2024 these shifts have slowed considerably. As of 2024, 69% of U.S. adults identify as Christian, 4.1% follow non-Christian religions, and 21.4% report no religious affiliation. Millennials are the primary drivers of the rise in nonreligious identity, while other generations have shown smaller increases.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/263771/americans-religious-preferences-remain-mostly-unchanged-over-the-last-5-years-poll-shows
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13. ‘Papabile’ of the Day: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, By John L. Allen Jr., Crux, May 1, 2025
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As it happens, there is an American this time around with a serious shot: 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who served as head of the Vatican’s ultra-powerful Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis for the past two years. That made him responsible for advising the pope on picking new bishops around the world, which is, inter alia, a great way to make friends in the Catholic hierarchy.
As his fellow prelates have gotten to know the former Augustinian superior, many of them like what they see: A moderate, balanced figure, known for solid judgment and a keen capacity to listen, and someone who doesn’t need to pound his chest to be heard.
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What’s the case for Prevost?
Fundamentally, there are three qualities cardinals look for every time they have to kick the tires on a possible pope: They want a missionary, someone who can put a positive face on the faith; a statesman, someone who can stand on the global stage with the Donald Trumps, Vladimir Putins and Xi Jinpings of the world and hold his own; and a governor, someone who can take control of the Vatican and make the trains run on time, including dealing with its financial crisis.
There’s a solid argument Prevost ticks all three boxes.
He spent much of his career in Peru as a missionary, and parts of the rest of it in seminary and formation work, giving him an appreciation for what it takes to keep the fires of faith lit. His global experience would be an asset in the challenges of statecraft, and his naturally reserved and equanimous personality might well lend itself to the art of diplomacy. Finally, his successful runs in various leadership positions – religious superior, diocesan bishop and Vatican prefect – offer proof of his capacity to govern.
Moreover, Prevost does not play to classic stereotypes of brash American arrogance. Instead, as both the Italian newspaper La Repubblica and the national TV network RAI recently put it, he comes off as il meno americano tra gli americani, “the least American of the Americans.”
Fundamentally, a vote for Prevost would be seen in broad strokes as a vote for continuity with much of the substance of the Pope Francis agenda, but not necessarily the style, as he’s more pragmatic, cautious and discreet than the late pope – all qualities many of his fellow cardinals might well find desirable.
Moreover, Prevost is seen as having more or less the right age profile. He turns 70 in September, so a Prevost papacy likely would be long enough to guarantee stability, not so long as to conjure images of an Eternal Father instead of a Holy Father.
The case against?
To begin with, Prevost is something of a cypher when it comes to many of the contested issues in Catholic life. In terms of where he stands on matters such as the ordination of women deacons, or the blessing of persons in same-sex unions, or the Latin Mass, he’s played his cards awfully close to the vest. For some cardinals, that might make Prevost too much of a journey into the unknown, especially among more conservative voters who want some guarantee of greater clarity.
In addition, Prevost is among several U.S. cardinals against whom complaints have been lodged by the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) for allegedly mishandling abuse complaints. One concerns the accused priest in Chicago, the other two priests in Chiclayo in Peru. There is a compelling other side to that story: Multiple parties have defended Prevost’s conduct in both cases, the canon lawyer who initially represented the Peruvian victims is a disgraced ex-priest with an axe to grind, and while in Chiclayo Prevost was head of a successful diocesan commission for child protection. Still, the mere hint of culpability might be enough to worry some electors.
At a basic level, there may be concern about whether Prevost really has the charisma to play on the global stage, to inspire and to excite. Given that so much of his work over the years has been behind the scenes, he hasn’t had much of an opportunity to turn the world on with his smile. On the other hand, it’s worth recalling that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina had a reputation in Buenos Aires for being a distant, gray figure uncomfortable in the public eye, and we all know how that turned out once he stepped into the Shoes of the Fisherman.
The bottom line is that Prevost satisfies a great deal of what cardinals have traditionally looked for, and even his lack of a clear track record on some disputed issues might be more of an asset than a liability. A 2023 tribute from CTU at the time of his elevation to the College of Cardinals more or less sums up his appeal.
“Prevost brings to the College of Cardinals the heart of a missionary and years of ministerial experience, ranging from academic classrooms to poor barrios to the upper echelons of administration,” it said. “He embodies the Gospel call to be ready to serve wherever the Spirit leads.”
We’ll see in a few days if that strikes at least two-thirds of Prevost’s fellow cardinal electors as the profile of a pope.
https://cruxnow.com/papal-transition/2025/05/papabile-of-the-day-cardinal-robert-francis-prevost
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14. What Pope Francis taught us: Church teaching finds clarity and power in acts of mercy, By David Albertson and Jason Blakely, America, April 30, 2025, Opinion
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Cardinal Dolan’s prioritization of clarity echoes a common criticism of Francis—namely, that Francis was not explicit, consistent or even dogmatically faithful enough in expressing the church’s creedal and moral teachings.
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Specifically, the focus on propositional and moral clarity misses how the teaching office of the magisterium was exercised by Pope Francis as an integrated, holistic pedagogy in living relationship with one’s disciples.
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Francis’ critics wrongly assume that his warmth, affection and informality could somehow impede or confuse the content of his teaching.
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As the cardinals gather to select Francis’ successor, there is a danger of over-correcting for what critics saw as his deficiencies. This risks not only failing to appreciate Francis’ pastoral witness to truth, but also falling into a pattern of errors that he consistently warned against. One of the most systemic mistakes exposed by Francis is what he called a kind of gnosticism, or the habit of prioritizing knowledge and intellectual definitions over authentic moral and spiritual transformation.
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A near-absolute prioritization of clarity offers a comfortable but illusory invulnerability.
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2025/04/28/francis-clarity-mercy-teacher-albertson-blakely-250509
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15. Successor . . . to Whom?, By George Weigel, First Things, May 1, 2025, Opinion
In the first days of discussion in the General Congregations preparing for the conclave that will begin on May 7, several cardinals have said that the conclave’s task is to find the “successor of Pope Francis.”
That is right, chronologically. It is not right theologically.
Conclave 2025’s task is not to find the successor of Francis but the successor of Peter.
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Like everything else in the Church, the Office of Peter—the unique ministry exercised by the Bishop of Rome—is at the service of the Gospel and its proclamation. At the Mass publicly inaugurating his Petrine ministry in 1978, Pope John Paul II offered a memorable lesson in this ancient truth. Its echoes continue to reverberate throughout the living parts of world Catholicism.
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The cardinals of Conclave 2005 have a formidable task ahead of them. That task will be addressed in a more Gospel-centered way if the cardinal-electors remind themselves that every pope brings unique spiritual and human gifts to the Office of Peter, and that their charge is not to find Francis 2.0, but to find the Successor of Peter, to whom the Lord gave the responsibility to “strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:32).
https://firstthings.com/letters-from-rome-2025-the-papal-interregnum-no-4/
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16. Why Pope Francis Made Foreign Policy a High Priority, Five areas are worthy of assessment: migration, tyranny, China, climate change and Islam, By Father Raymond J. de Souza, National Catholic Register, April 29, 2025, 7:11 PM, Opinion
The last time a sitting pope died in 2005, the largest gathering of world leaders in history came to his funeral, witnesses that Pope John Paul II was the most consequential historical figure of the late 20th century.
In 2025, the funeral of Pope Francis had a different flavor. It became an instrumental occasion for diplomacy; St. Peter’s was a venue for the initiatives of others. The Vatican provided the ushers who furnished the chairs in which others sat.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy held an impromptu bilateral meeting in St. Peter’s Basilica — “the nicest office I have ever seen,” said Trump later — while the mortal remains of the Holy Father were still present. The heads of government of the United Kingdom and France, as well as the European Union, did some diplomatic maneuvering in addition to mourning.
The “foreign policy” of a pope is not his primary mission, but it remains important. The late Holy Father made foreign policy a very high priority. Five areas are worthy of assessment: migration, tyranny, China, climate change and Islam.
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On migration, tyranny, China and climate change, the failures of the Francis pontificate’s foreign policy may not matter much in 10 years if there are reversals on those issues. The future of Islam matters a great deal, and Francis was wise to lend Catholic support where he could.
https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/de-souza-pope-francis-foreign-policy
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17. The first American pope? This cardinal has the best chance of making history in this conclave, By Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter, April 30, 2025, Opinion
It is typically absurd to think of an American as pope. But in this conclave, a Chicago-born Augustinian friar who has spent much of his life outside of the United States is worthy of serious consideration.
Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, heads the influential Vatican Dicastery for Bishops, the office tasked with advising the pope on bishop appointments around the world.
While cardinals have been gathering after the death of Pope Francis, Prevost’s star appears to be rising as Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s candidacy seems in trouble. Prevost could become the candidate for those seeking a curial insider who is not Parolin, after the Vatican secretary of state’s lackluster homily on Sunday raised concerns about a charisma gap.
Some cardinals already had their eye on Prevost because of his global experience. Though he may be American by birth, he has spent only a third of his life in the United States, instead spending much of the rest of it in Europe and Latin America.
He’s only been in charge for two years, taking over from Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who held the post for 15 years and helped leave a conservative imprint on the Catholic hierarchy.
“We are often worried about teaching doctrine, but we risk forgetting that our first duty is to communicate the beauty and joy of knowing Jesus,” Prevost, in one of his few interviews, told Vatican News, the news portal of the Holy See.
It was a clear signal that the tides were turning in a new pastoral direction and that an office that once was concerned with using doctrine as a litmus test was rebalancing its priorities in identifying candidates for episcopacy. Like Pope Francis, Prevost was interested in selecting potential bishops who adopted a “pastors first” approach to church leadership.
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While fluent in languages, he is not garrulous. When he speaks, he does so with caution and great deliberation. A private man with a reserved style, he will not score high on the charm offensive. But his steely determination and clarity might comfort those looking for a leader who knows where he wants to go and how to get there.
Those elements could put him over the top, even if cardinals are reluctant to vote for an American.
https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/papal-front-runner-interest-polyglot-us-cardinal-prevost-rises-italian
__________________________________________________________TCA Media Monitoring provides a snapshot from national newspapers and major Catholic press outlets of coverage regarding significant Catholic Church news and current issues with which the Catholic Church is traditionally or prominently engaged. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Catholic Association. |
