When it came to championing the poor, the marginalized, and migrants, there was no advocate more visible than Pope Francis. Saturday's funeral and its turnout offer some clues as to who the next pope will be, and if those causes will remain a priority for the Catholic Church in world that is experiencing a major political shift.

Rome

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, has died at age 88 from a cerebral stroke and subsequent heart failure, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis Dies

The Catholic Church is navigating a transition phase amidst a politically complex global landscape. In a significant event, crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square from various parts of the world to bid farewell to Pope Francis. While the turnout was impressive, it was noted by Vatican expert Frank Rocca that it did not surpass the attendance at the funeral of Pope John Paul II, who symbolized opposition to communism during the fall of the Soviet Union, and who attracted around 4 million mourners in 2005.

The forthcoming conclave of cardinals will serve as a decision point, determining whether the Catholic Church maintains continuity with Pope Francis' papacy or opts for change. Pope Francis was renowned for championing the causes of the marginalized, migrants, and environmental care. However, these priorities are presently less popular, especially among political conservatives in the U.S. Francis' outspoken stance during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign drew criticism, notably from then-candidate Donald Trump.

As the situations unfold, the depth of Pope Francis' internal support within the Church will be revealed. There will be questions regarding whether the Church will continue the path he established or deviate from it, a choice that may redefine its future priorities and influence.



Catholic Church enters transition amid complex political landscape

Crowds of both the faithful and the curious line the streets for miles to attend the funeral of Pope Francis today. I'm standing in St. Peter's Square, cheek by jowl, with hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world paying their respects to Pope Francis. But as large as the crowds may be, they've been bigger, says Vatican expert Frank Rocca. It's a lot of people, there's no question about it. Very few leaders would draw that kind of thing, but it's just the benchmark, John Paul said that, this is nowhere challenging that record. John Paul II was seen as a victor over communism in the fall of the Soviet Union. In 2005, an estimated 4 million people came to Rome for that funeral, one of the largest gatherings of mourners in history. Then, weeks later at the conclave to elect his successor, cardinals chose Benedict XVI, the right-hand man of John Paul II. Certainly every conclave is a referendum on continuity or change. Francis at this moment is on the political losing side. The causes that he espoused, defensive advocacy for migrants, care for the environment, for the poor, these sorts of things are not fashionable right now. Especially on the political right in the U.S. In 2016, during the U.S. presidential campaign, Francis sparred with them on mass immigration when he said, a person who thinks only about building walls is not Christian. Then-candidate Donald Trump fired back. For a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful. And just last week, hours after Pope Francis died, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X, evil is being defeated by the hand of God. She's since taken the comment down, but Francis' detractors remain. Francis was well-liked, but maybe his support was a bit shallower than we thought. The coming conclave will reveal how deep that support was internally. And whether the church follows the path Francis charted, or leaves it behind.

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Pope Francis Dies