The casket of Pope Francis is seen from above during his funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican April 26, 2025. Faithful, clergy, and dignitaries gather to pay their final respects to the pontiff. (CNS Photo/Stefano Spaziani, pool) 
After the funeral of Pope Francis, the focus is on the future. What qualities should the new pope have? Opinions differ on this. Also among church representatives from Germany.
The preliminary phase of the papal election began even before the funeral services for the late Pope Francis. “Last Tuesday, the so-called pre-conclave began with the general assemblies,” Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki from Cologne confided to viewers of his weekly video impulse at the weekend. He said of the daily meetings of the cardinals: “We discuss the central concerns and challenges that the next Pope will face.”
Papal election begins on 11 May at the latest
It has not yet been decided when the actual papal election in the Sistine Chapel will begin. According to current regulations, the conclave should start on 11 May at the latest. There are 135 cardinals eligible to vote. In addition to Woelki, this circle includes two other representatives from Germany: Cardinal Reinhard Marx from Munich and the former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller.
What should the new man at the head of the Catholic Church bring to the table? Cardinal Marx hopes for a new Pope with a courageous, free, credible and communicative personality. This person must be deeply rooted in the faith. In this respect, he should continue the legacy of his predecessor Francis, says Marx.
A chapter is closed?
Cardinal Müller, who has only played a minor role in the Vatican over the past seven years since being booted out by Pope Francis, but continues to enjoy international renown as a theologian, sets a different tone. In an interview with the Italian daily newspaper “Repubblica”, he stated: “A chapter in the history of the Church has been closed.” A clear message to those who want to follow in Francis’ footsteps in the next pontificate and perhaps even develop them further.
Would it be conceivable to reject Francis’ legacy? In an interview with Vatican Radio, Curia Cardinal Walter Kasper described his commitment to greater dialogue and participation of the faithful in the Church as a “great legacy”. Francis had provided the impetus to create a new climate. “There is still a lot to improve and continue, to clarify for the next pope, who will hopefully take up this initiative.” But one thing is also clear: “You can’t go back – that’s out of the question,” said the emeritus German curia cardinal, who at 92 is no longer one of the pope’s voters, but is still an influential voice.
German zeal for reform
Francis has been at odds with the Synodal Path reform dialogue initiated by the Catholic Church in Germany, but has not stopped it, says the chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing. According to Bätzing, he only realised what kind of listening and consensus-seeking the Pope from Latin America stood for at the World Synod in Rome in 2023 and 2024. Francis was concerned with harmony in which the individual voices complement each other. The Bishop of Limburg is now hoping for a new pope who will continue and further develop the thoughts and actions of Pope Francis.
In the Central Committee of German Catholics, they would like to see a successor to Francis who is bold enough to tackle the hot topics of the German reform debates: women as priests, relaxation of celibacy – the compulsory celibacy of priests – and more participation in power for the laity, according to Irme Stetter-Karp, President of the Catholic umbrella organisation, in an interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
She surmises that the Church has probably lost touch with society on many issues relating to sexuality: “There are probably no longer any particular expectations of a new pope when it comes to contraception.” She continues: “We want the Catholic Church to fundamentally revise its ideas on sexual morality in its teaching.”
So or so: the shoulders of the future pope are already burdened with expectations that are almost impossible to fulfil. Cardinal Woelki is probably not calling on all Catholics for nothing: “Pray for our deceased Holy Father, Pope Francis, and accompany the upcoming election of his successor with your prayers.”