Why conclave should elect a progressive Pope like Francis

**Cardinals during the fifth congregation meeting in the Vatican, on April 28, 2025.** [AFP]

Pope Francis is being mourned the world over by believers and non-believers of the Catholic faith alike. The Pope stood up as a beacon of light, change and progressivism for many. Notably, in his final years, he stood firm against the genocide in Gaza. While leaders across the rest of the world continue to hedge around the question of the genocide, the Pope chose to spend his every day commiserating with the people of Gaza, calling the Catholic Church there to speak with and pray for the victims of the genocide. But what made Pope Francis to be so much loved is that he went above and beyond what would be expected of a Christian leader, rather ironically, by accepting and welcoming those who are condemned by conservative Christians. He loved all, including migrants and homosexuals and, in a bold move, the final group of people to bid his body goodbye included a gathering of transgender people, the homeless, and sex workers.

Naturally, there was a great push-back against the Pope’s ethos. Europe is, after all, in its neo-fascist age, closing its borders, supporting Israel in its war, and voting in right-leaning leaders with conservative views. The death of the Pope is therefore seen by some as an opportunity to restore order at the Vatican, by bringing into power a conservative Pope. By some others, it is also seen as an opportunity to, for the first time ever, elect a Pope from Africa. Interestingly enough, fronting an African Pope might kill both these birds with one stone. The election of an African as Pope would signal change while likely at the same time turning the tide on the acceptance of minority groups, and any critique of this regression would be difficult due to the progress of racial inclusion.

As always, art imitates life, which in this case is proven by the 2024 film, 'Conclave'. In it, the Pope is found dead of a heart attack, and the conclave begins. Amongst the forerunners are Cardinal Adeyemi of Nigeria, whose stance includes advocating for the imprisonment of homosexuals in this life and death in the next. However, more liberal Cardinals do not outrightly call out Adeyemi’s backward politics, noting his protected status as a rare African forerunner, and choose to focus instead on Cardinal Tedesco, an Italian who is also viewed as being bigoted. Tedesco stands against moral relativism and the welcoming of people of other religions into Europe, wanting the Church to go back to its purist, Latin days. The liberal faction fears more the politics of Tedesco than those of Adeyemi even though both would prove a threat to the progress of the Church and its place in the world.

Similarly, Cardinal Sarah of Guinea and Cardinal Turkson of Ghana are hailed by many as possible contenders for the papacy, even though, and perhaps even because, they are much more conservative than other front-runners. Rather than worry that these and other African Cardinals would be a threat to the progress of Pope Francis in accepting minorities and pushing for the liberation of Palestine, supporters of the Cardinal focus on the fact that this could be the first Black pope in history, a historical feat. But what is more important, between empty identity politics and the progress of the Church? The answer to that question depends on where one lies politically.

In reality, however, we need not worry, as the Vatican is not breaking these barriers anytime soon. Pope Francis himself was the first Pope from the Americas in the two millennia history of the Church, and even he was the son of Italian immigrants. What the Church and the rest of the world can hope for is that, in continuing to imitate 'Conclave', the College of Cardinals rise above the politics of region and stance and elect a Pope who is representative of this modern age and the people who exist in it, no matter how distasteful they may be to those with regressive views.

- Ms Gitahi is an international lawyer