Challenges for the new pope – and qualities he’ll need
Challenges the new pope will face – and the qualities experts say he’ll need
In the days since the death of Pope Francis, cardinals have been meeting each morning at the Vatican to make decisions on the governance of the church (in the absence of a pontiff) and to discuss the challenges facing the church in the world, and what kind of Holy Father would be needed to meet them.
While some, like Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, retired archbishop of Vienna, believe that papacy is “too much of a challenge for anyone,” it’s inevitable that one of the men now dressed in red will leave the conclave dressed in white — most probably either May 8 or 9.
The challenge of leading a Catholic flock of 1.4 billion, from that moment on, will be on his shoulders. From theologians to Vatican insiders, there’s agreement that the next pontiff must balance deep faith with sharp governance.