Whoever is elected as the next pope, one thing is certain: The church does not belong to him.

“He owes an apology,” Bishop Thomas Paprocki said after President Trump posted an image that appeared to be created by A.I. depicting himself as pope.

“We depend on the press to know who the candidates are, because names are not something we really talk about in there—perhaps only in small groups. This is not a parliament.”

The influence of the Synod on Synodality for the conclave—and what the result of the conclave might mean for the future of synodality

The role of the pope is in a process of conversion from worldly monarch to world’s priest.

At the Synod on Synodality, the cardinals were ‘converted’ to working together in a new way. As they join their brothers in the conclave, they face a referendum on—and resistance to—their work.

“In a time when the globalized economic and political order is crumbling—especially exposed during the Trump era—the church may well be one of the last stubborn institutions that still holds a truly global character.”

Far from the Sistine Chapel where cloistered cardinals will cast votes, people are placing bets on who will be chosen as the next pope.

In this interview with Gerard O’Connell, Cardinal Müller speaks about his personal relationship with the pope, his criticisms of some of Francis’ statements and what he’s looking for in the next pope.

Few, if any, Latin Americans show up on the speculative lists of who might be elected as the supreme pontiff, or “papabile.” But that doesn’t mean the cardinals will not once again look to the New World.