A new pope for new times. What challenges await Franciszek's successor?

The conclave, in which Franciszek's successor will be elected, will be the first in new times. The world order changes rapidly, which will be a challenge for the new pope. In addition, he himself must not only reconcile the various trends in the church, but also make key decisions about his future – writes for TVN24+ Catholic philosopher and publicist Tomasz P. Terlikowski.

Twelve years have passed since Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio chose the Cardinal as a new pope in the Sistine Chapel. And although it might seem that it is not much, many have changed since then. Ukraine has been attacked twice by Russia, the situation in the Middle East changed dramatically, and the President and Donald Trump, who overturned the geopolitical table, became the president. If you add a pandemic to this Covid-19climate change and a great journey of peoples, as well as the development of artificial intelligence and the information revolution related to social media – this picture of changes will become full.

The world in which we live has changed deeply, and the Church is forced to respond to these changes. Another pope will be the one who should give the face of this answer. However, his role will also be – and this cannot be forgotten – the answer to the challenges that torment the Church, as well as to preserve its unity. And it will not be easy either.

Excluded and migrants at the center of the church mission

Franciszek has already pointed out the directions of possible answers to the challenges we are talking about. This pope – deeply rooted in the old times, referring more often to Paul VI than to John Paul II And Benedict XVI – he began his pontificate with the ecological and radically reluctant “ungodly capitalism of the” encyclical “Laudato Si”, and then became famous for subsequent documents and gestures in which he invariably stood on the side of the migrants.

It can be said that the topic of migration is with a clamp connecting his pontificate. His first pilgrimage was the lampedus, and the last serious document of Francis was a letter to American bishops, in which he cut off from Donald Trump's migration policy.

I call on all the faithful of the Catholic Church and all men and women of good will not to give in to narratives that discriminate and cause unnecessary suffering of our brothers and sisters of migrants and refugees

– the Pope pointed out in a letter to American bishops.

“… We are all called to live in Solidarity and brotherhood, to build bridges that are increasingly bringing us closer to each other, to avoid the walls of disgrace,” he wrote. “I carefully followed the serious crisis, which is taking place in the United States with the start of the mass deportation program. A correctly shaped conscience cannot fail to critically assess and do not oppose the means that silently or clearly identify the illegal status of some migrants with a crime” – pointed out the deceased pope.

Why do I remind these words? Because Francis's successor in this matter will certainly not change his position. Why? Because the attitude towards migrants and refugees from the Old Testament is a measure of religious authenticity. “Because I was hungry and you let me eat; I was thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a newcomer and you took me (…) Everything that you did to one of these brothers my smallest, you did me” (Mt 25, 35-40).