Vance and conservative Catholics in US hope to influence election of new pope

[RandySF]

LONDON – There is a certain irony in the fact that the last foreign leader Pope Francis received, before his passing, for an audience was US Vice-President J.D. Vance.

The meeting between the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide and the US politician who converted to Catholicism embodies the deep theological division now splitting the Catholic Church between a progressive, more humanistic and global approach promoted by the late Pope and the politically conservative view espoused by Mr Vance and many far-right US leaders.

It is this divide that the Conclave of Cardinals – the Catholic Church’s highest ruling body – will have to bear in mind when it convenes in about two weeks from now to elect a new Pope. And many right-wing Catholic institutions, some encouraged by politicians such as Mr Vance in the US, will be trying to strengthen the hands of conservative cardinals in making their choice.

Several factors made Pope Francis unusual.

A native of Argentina, he was the first pontiff in 1,300 years not to come from Europe, and that counted for a great deal.


https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/vance-and-conservative-catholics-in-us-hope-to-influence-election-of-new-pope

[Diamond_Dog]

1. Hey. JD

You need to stay in your own lane. You must really be full of yourself right now. Guess what, you’re not as smart as you think you are and nobody likes you either.

[MagickMuffin]

2. Why did JD Vance kill the Pope? To select Leonard Leo as the next Pope

JD was given the magic Putin Powder that killed the Pope.

Jesus, it’s time for a good smiting!

[DFW]

3. As if the 1 billion plus other Catholics in the world

As if they are eager to have an unstable right wing US covert plus a few dozen million American Catholics nostalgic for the Inquisition picking their next spiritual leader. They just saw what happens when a ruthless Russian Orthodox fanatic helps pick America’s leader, and they have incontrovertible evidence that it turns out badly.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. Oh, please try. PLEASE TRY!

I was wondering why Trump was going to the funeral services. Could he really, COULD HE REALLY TRY TO INFLUENCE THAT PROCESS? Oh my God, he is going to embarrass all of us.

[Maru Kitteh]

7. YES! Make it like the trade war. Threaten to deport Jesus and sue Mary.

That should produce the most liberal pope in history.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. I picture him walking amidst the American conservative cardinals, asking them

for dirt and blackmail info on the other cardinals.

[alarimer]

5. I hope it's someone Vance hates

Someone that will call out all the bad things they are doing.

[Mordred]

6. As a great statesman familiar to Vance said...

"You're not in a good position, you don't have the cards right now.
With us you start having cards"

[musette_sf]

9. They want that sicko Ray-Ray Burke

who Jorge despised.

[Sogo]

10. Separation of church and state is for the protection of the church from the influence of government as much

as it is for the protection of the government from being influenced by the church.

The promise of the US Vice President attempting to influence the selection of the next Pope couldn't make the point any more clearly.

[Renew Deal]

11. I doubt they will get anywhere other than hurting an Americans chance at getting it.

And I think it’s doubtful anyway.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

13. There is zero percent chance it's an American.

I haven't even seen an American considered in very long lists of possibilities.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

12. Francis appointed a lot of conservative Cardinals who will vote for the replacement,

so my guess is Vance will get his wish.