Following the passing of Pope Francis, the Conclave is now in session to select his successor. This brings up a significant question: will the next Pope lean towards conservatism and tradition, or will he adopt more progressive ideals like those espoused by Francis?
John-Henry Westen, co-founder and CEO of LifeSiteNews, shared his perspective on this matter.
Westen mentioned that there’s chatter suggesting a new Pope could be announced within three days of the Conclave’s start.
“I really can’t say for sure,” added Glenn Beck during “The Glenn Beck Program.” “But from what I see, there don’t seem to be any true conservatives with a real shot at this.”
“It’s a thought-provoking question,” he noted. “In our church, we certainly call ourselves conservative, and we often refer to those who uphold the traditional Catholic faith.”
However, a significant number of the Cardinals participating in the Conclave were appointed by Pope Francis himself. Reports indicate that the total number of voting Cardinals has risen from 120 to 133.
Westen elaborated, saying, “The procedural guidelines established by John Paul II and later revised by Benedict indicate this.”
“Importantly, out of these 133 Cardinals, 108 were named by Francis. That’s over 81%,” he continued. “So, if you want to talk about a biased situation, this certainly seems like it.”
He also expressed some skepticism about the potential for a drastic shift: “The tricky part of such political maneuvering is whether enough people can rally around a far-left agenda that strays from Catholic principles. I doubt it. So, we’re left with a group of Cardinals whose positions remain somewhat unclear.”
“Ultimately, they have to navigate the aftermath of what has transpired over the last twelve years.”
