With an inconclusive first and second day at the Conclave – to date – speculation in Rome is mounting that there may be deep divisions inside the Sistine Chapel. We may be in for an intense session of vote trading and complex geopolitical chess-board negotiations.
The next pope, especially if it is one of the younger members of the Conclave – by which I mean under 70 – will shape the faith of some 1.4 billion Catholics for possibly as long as 20 years, maybe more.
Age may turn out to be a critical factor. The Conclave may want a younger pope from an entirely new generation not besmirched by the sins of the church. The past week has seen the major candidates – including Pietro Parolin and Luis Tagle – all being smeared by attacks implying they are not fit to be the Vicar of Christ. A younger pope – such as 60 year old Italian Cardinal Pizzaballa – could be seen as a chance to take the church into a new chapter, untainted by the sex abuse and financial scandals that have rocked the church in the last 20 years.
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