Chai Brady
Pope Francis prays in front of a candle in memory of victims of sexual abuse as he visits St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin Aug. 25. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) See POPE-DUBLIN-POOR Aug. 25, 2018. Leading child protection campaigner and abuse survivor Marie Collins has said that “I want the next Pope to be a man with the courage to bring in the 2019 promise of ‘zero tolerance’ (removal from the clerical state of any cleric guilty of abuse) and make reporting to civil authorities by bishops mandatory worldwide – not a guidance as it is today”.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, the former member of the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors who resigned in 2017 citing resistance to the commission’s recommendations added: “Personally, because of my experience of the Vatican, [the new pope] needs to have the courage to stand up to the ‘old guard’ there and continue the reforms begun by Francis.”
Ms Collins said she hoped that the new pope will be a man “who can get things done, someone who has worked in parishes and not spent his time at a distance from the people”, and “a man who can heal the rift that has been developing between ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ Catholics would be welcome. A new pope falling into either extreme would be a problem for the Church going forward”.
Dr John Murray, a lecturer in theology at Dublin City University, also said the next Pope should play a role in addressing divisions, particularly around liturgy, moral teaching, and Church governance. He also highlighted the need for continued reform regarding Vatican administration, finances, and the handling of abuse cases.
Dr Murray said that while continuity exists, some of it was lost during Francis’s pontificate, contributing to a “very polarised” Church.
“The Church is very polarised… and the synodality process hasn’t resolved that. In some ways, it’s made it more obvious,” he said.
Prof Fáinche Ryan, Professor of Theology at the Loyola Institute in Trinity College Dublin and Vice-President of the European Society of Catholic Theology, noted Pope Francis had a “compassion and concern for the world we are in today, which is a very, very troubled world”, and that these qualities remain essential in Church leadership.
“With women, in terms of the synodal process, you see all the work that Francis has done in advancing women and taking them seriously. I think our next leader again needs courage. Lots of courage,” Prof. Ryan said.
She continued saying the next Pope must guide the Church through the next phase of the synodal process, which she believes must include deeper faith formation and theological education, particularly for adults.
“If we expect the people of God to be involved in decision making in the synodal process, then we need certainly equality of education,” she said.
Alan Whelan, President of the Catholic Secondary School Parents Association, said he would like to see the cardinals choose “another deeply spiritual pope, a pope who continues to teach us how to pray and a pope who continues to inspire our young people”.
He added: “I would hope for a pope who would frequently remind our bishops of their immediate responsibility for teaching and witnessing to the Good News, especially in all Catholic schools under their watch.”
Director of Public Affairs for Aid to the Church in Need Michael Kelly also wants a pope who can speak to youth. “I hope the next Pope can connect with young people and speak their language understanding the many complex challenges in their worlds, while calling them out of the isolation so often part of social media to the community of the Church.
“Younger people have an intuition for authenticity, and they don’t want a soppy ‘I’m okay, you’re okay’ watered-down version of the Gospel, they want to be presented with the robust challenge of faith – in a world of fake news, disinformation and misinformation the Church should stand up and say: truth matters”.
Paula McKeown, a parishioner in Ardkeen and former Director of the Living Church initiative in the Diocese of Down and Connor, said: “My deepest desire for our next Pope is that he would have a Christ-like heart. The teaching and witness that will radiate from a Pope modelled entirely on the heart of Jesus should empower people to embrace the mission of the Church and it would also be attractive to those who are curious about faith and seeking to belong.”
Fr Peter McVerry SJ, social justice campaigner and founder of the Peter McVerry Trust, said he hopes to see a pontiff who continues the legacy of Pope Francis, particularly his work with marginalised communities.
“I’d like to see a continuation of what he began,” he said, “with an emphasis on those who are poor, who are migrants, who are prisoners, those who are excluded and forgotten in society… bringing the Church back to its roots in the Gospel.”