If there is a scene that condenses the deepest meaning of the movie “Conclavium”, which made a great sense last year, reaching the Oscar, is undoubtedly the monologue of Cardinal Lawrence – he is played by him Riff Fines – In one of the first scenes of the project. The particularly dear and liberal Pope has died, the cardinals have just been locked up in the Sistina hats for the processes of election of their new spiritual leader, and the basic stakes that arise is whether the progressive heritage of the deceased will find a worthy pope or a good manner, Cardinalians.
“All these years I served in the church, let me say that I ended up in a sin that I am more afraid of: certainty. Care is the great enemy of unity. The certainty is the deadly enemy of tolerance. Even Christ Himself was not sure in the end: “My God, why did you abandon me?” He shouted on the ninth hour on the Cross. Our faith is a living thing, precisely because it goes hand in hand with doubt. If there was only certainty and no doubt at all, there would be no mystery, and therefore no need for faith. Let us pray to God so that he can give us a Pope who has doubts. “
The embrace of doubt
There are many ways to read the above monologue, but the most interesting one is a fierce criticism of the “conservative worship of certainty”, as recently pointed out James E. PorterProfessor at the University of Miami in Ohio. She refers to the “Believe that there are clear and unambiguous answers to all questions about moral and faith and that, therefore, uncertainty [και συνακόλουθα η ανεκτικότητα] It is a weakness, a sign of moral weakening or integration into the Woke camp, a liberal defect ». The embrace of doubt constitutes, in general, the great challenge that the Catholic Church is called upon to face in conditions of modernity, as the increasing complexity, diversity and pluralism of the world make it increasingly difficult, if not impossible.
For many, he tried to answer, at least to some extent, to this challenge. Synchronize with the rhythms and demands of the time, without leading the religious doctrine to a kind of moral relaxation., To members of the LGBTQ community and immigrants, but also to the unjustified capitalism – and less of patriarchy – with huge contradictions, such as contradictions.
The opportunity to influence ‘tramping’
However, looking at the international system and political correlations today, its form seems to be a minority, moving to the opposite of its so popular image. strongman. Times and data have clearly changed. And it would be naive to consider that these ideological transformations could not even affect even the interior of the Catholic Church. As the Director of the Pension of the International Publications “points out”The time” Patrick Schwartzit could be proven to Trump, but also in general for tramping on both sides of the Atlantic, a first-class opportunity to expand his influence, as any superstitious candidate would offer an important international ally. The political power of the spiritual leader of Catholicism, who “talks” to 1.3 billion believers around the world, is also undeniable.
Pope Francis never hid his dislike for his face. During the 2016 US election campaign he openly stated that anyone who dreams of building walls, instead of bridges, cannot consider himself a Christian. Monumental has not become the photo taken a year later, after a meeting of the two men, in which the Pope, completely inexpressible, stands next to a pride Donald Trump. The feelings were of course mutual. One of the first moves made by the new US president when he took power again was to appoint a US Ambassador to the Vatican to a Pope’s Criticist, Brian Brands. President of the Catholic Vote super-conservative organization, the father of nine children and a warrior of abortions and contraception, Brandz maintains excellent relations with the US Catholic Priests Confederation. As Schwartz mentions in ‘The time”in the last 12 years, after the election of Pope Francis and the so -called “liberal turn”, the cruel right wing of the Catholic Church, sympathetic to Trump, has been indulged in an international campaign of reversing the correlations, creating cosmic and ecclesiastical allies. Banon.
The scenario of a ‘Pope’s Pope’
So how likely is the scenario of a “Pope”? The composition of the impending Conclavium may may give some indications. For the first time in history, fewer than half of the cardinals-selectors come from Europe, which may favor the potential of candidates from Asia or Africa. In the vast majority of them, the cardinals were designated by Pope Francis, which predicted the outcome for some. However, the Pope did not make the necessary recommendations, knowing one cardinal to another. In addition, not all those appointed to the progressive camp belong. Many, coming from developing countries, have a conservative profile. Finally, it is not certain that the involvement of some cardinals with the ideas of the deceased pope will continue after his death.
These are given, although not the dominant scenario, nothing can be ruled out. Among the aspiring dolphins are the de facto leader of the radicalized conservative opposition and Trump’s chosen, American cardinal Raymond Leo Berk. The latter had repeatedly clashed with Francis, accusing him of a woke agenda and a “bruise” of the Catholic Church. Another case is that of Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, an expert in ecclesiastical law, an ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and a fan of a harsh immigration policy.
About six centuries ago, the founder of the discrimination of politics from the religious sphere wrote in a small – but extremely influential – manual that the ruler does not need to follow all the virtues that people consider important, because he may need to do the opposite of them. But it must seem to do so. “Nothing,” Machiavelli emphasized in Chapter 18 of Rulerobviously in mind the moral legitimacy (or legitimization) that can cause the religious element in the political sphere, “it is no longer necessary than to appear to have this latest virtue, piety. In general, people think more about the eyes than on actions, because everyone can see, but few understand. ” Francis was one of the most powerful ethical voices against the American president on some issues. It remains to be seen whether his successor moves to the same line or whether the ideology of tramping will extend to the religious sphere, offering an alibi alibi.
