Don't be surprised if you don't recognize the next pope |
By Mollie Wilson O'Reilly |
Pope Francis very likely was the world's most famous man at the time of his death April 21. But before March 13, 2013, he was Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, SJ, and unless you worked in Vatican City or lived in Buenos Aires, there's a good chance you had never heard of him. It is wise to keep that in mind as the papal conclave begins today, and the world anticipates the election of Francis' successor. Hollywood intrigue aside, no secret cardinals will grab the spotlight in Rome. The cardinals will vote for someone they know and trust. But the tools we use to handicap an election in the United States aren't much good at forecasting popes. For one thing, the American view of "liberal" and "conservative" — already an awkward fit for American Catholics — is a truly inadequate framework for understanding the priorities and divisions of the Catholic hierarchy in Rome. And for those hoping for the first American pontiff, think of the view from Rome: if you were choosing someone to run a global organization headquartered in Europe in 2025, would you want to put an American in charge? This is a preview of Mollie Wilson O'Reilly's latest column. Read the full column here. |
