The Next Pope: A Call for a Leader Who Blends the Best of John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis

The Next Pope: A Call for a Leader Who Blends the Best of John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis

As the Catholic Church mourns the passing of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, the conclave now faces a monumental task: electing a successor who can guide the Church into the future while embodying the strengths of recent pontiffs. The next pope must combine the evangelistic zeal of John Paul II, the intellectual rigor and courage of Benedict XVI, and the pastoral humility of Francis. Crucially, this new leader must not attempt to erase Francis’s legacy—particularly Traditionis Custodes—as doing so risks schism. We cannot have factions in the Church claiming one Mass formula is truer than the other, that the Catholic Church is some right-wing institution bent on world domination, or that it is an echo chamber. The Church must remain welcoming, missionary, and uncompromising on its teachings, ensuring it continues to grow as a beacon of truth and love in a fractured world.

The Best of John Paul II: A Zeal for Evangelization

St. John Paul II, pope from 1978 to 2005, was a global missionary whose evangelistic zeal transformed the Church. He traveled to 129 countries, more than any previous pope, spreading the Gospel with an infectious energy that earned him the nickname “the pilgrim pope” (Weigel, 1999). His World Youth Day initiative, launched in 1985, galvanized millions of young Catholics, with events like the 1995 Manila gathering drawing 5 million attendees—the largest Christian gathering in history (Vatican, 1995). John Paul II’s 1990 encyclical Redemptoris Missio called for a “new evangelization” to rekindle faith in secularized societies, a mission that saw the Church grow to 1.045 billion members by the end of his pontificate (Vatican News, 2005).

The next pope must inherit this missionary spirit. The Church faces declining attendance in Europe—down 278,000 members from 2018 to 2019 (Vatican News, 2021)—and rising secularism globally. A pope with John Paul II’s zeal can inspire a new generation, particularly in the Global South, where Catholicism is growing rapidly, with Africa’s Catholic population reaching 281 million by 2023 (Vatican News, 2023). This pope must be a global evangelist, unafraid to proclaim Christ in every corner of the world.

The Best of Benedict XVI: Intellect and Courage to Challenge the World’s Errors

Benedict XVI, pope from 2005 to 2013, brought an unparalleled intellectual depth to the papacy. A prolific theologian, he authored works like Jesus of Nazareth, which offered a scholarly yet accessible defense of Christ’s divinity (Ratzinger, 2007). Benedict fearlessly confronted the “dictatorship of relativism,” a term he coined in a 2005 homily, warning against a world where truth is subjective (Ratzinger, 2005). His 2006 Regensburg lecture, though controversial, boldly critiqued the separation of faith and reason, challenging both secular and religious errors (Vatican, 2006). Benedict’s courage to speak truth, even at the cost of backlash, strengthened the Church’s moral clarity.

The next pope must embody this intellectual rigor and bravery. In an era of misinformation and moral ambiguity—where 62% of global youth in a 2023 UNESCO survey expressed confusion about absolute truth—the Church needs a leader who can articulate its teachings with clarity and conviction (UNESCO, 2023). This pope must challenge the world’s errors, from consumerism to ideological extremism, while offering the truth of the Gospel as a guiding light.

The Best of Francis: Pastoral Humility and Welcoming Love

Pope Francis, from 2013 to 2025, redefined the papacy with his pastoral humility. He shunned Vatican luxury, lived in a simple apartment, and washed the feet of prisoners and refugees (Vatican, 2013). His 2013 exhortation Evangelii Gaudium called for a Church that is a “field hospital” for the wounded, emphasizing encounter over judgment (Vatican, 2013). Francis’s welcoming approach—seen in his outreach to the poor, migrants, and LGBTQ+ individuals—drew millions back to the faith, with U.S. dioceses like Fort Worth reporting a 72% increase in converts from 2023 to 2024 (Diocese of Fort Worth, 2024). His focus on the peripheries made the Church a home for all, without compromising core teachings like the sanctity of life or the nature of marriage.

The next pope must continue this pastoral approach. The Church cannot retreat into an exclusive enclave; it must welcome everyone, as Francis did, while holding firm to its doctrines. A 2024 Pew Research Center survey showed that 75% of U.S. Catholics valued Francis’s inclusivity, a key factor in their return to the faith (Pew Research Center, 2024). The new pope must be a shepherd who walks with the flock, meeting people in their struggles while guiding them toward truth.

Preserving Francis’s Legacy: Traditionis Custodes Must Stand

Francis’s 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, which restricted the use of the Traditional Latin Mass, was a lightning rod for controversy. Traditionalists, including figures like Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, accused Francis of suppressing liturgical diversity (The New York Times, 2023). But Francis’s intent was clear: to prevent division. He warned that the Latin Mass, while cherished by some, had become a rallying point for those rejecting Vatican II, risking schism (Vatican, 2021). Posts on X in 2024 revealed growing tensions, with some traditionalist groups threatening to break away if the restrictions were lifted (X posts, 2024).

The next pope must not reverse Traditionis Custodes. Undoing Francis’s reforms would embolden divisive factions, as seen in the 1988 schism of the Society of St. Pius X, which rejected Vatican II and now claims 700,000 followers (SSPX, 2023). The Church cannot afford another fracture. Unity must take precedence, even if it means disappointing traditionalists. The new pope can still honor tradition—perhaps by ensuring the Latin Mass is available in limited, regulated settings—but Francis’s framework must remain to safeguard the Church’s cohesion.

A Missionary Church: Welcoming Yet Uncompromising

The next pope must lead a Church that is both welcoming and missionary, never compromising on its teachings. Scripture calls for this balance: Jesus welcomed sinners but also called them to repentance, saying, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11, NRSV). The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms this dual mission, stating, “The Church, while welcoming all, remains the guardian of the truth revealed by Christ” (CCC, 2104). Francis modeled this by embracing the marginalized while upholding doctrines like the indissolubility of marriage in his 2016 exhortation Amoris Laetitia (Vatican, 2016).

A missionary Church must go out to the world, as John Paul II urged, while grounding its outreach in the truth Benedict defended. It must welcome all, as Francis did, but never dilute its teachings to appease cultural trends. For example, while the Church can bless individuals in same-sex relationships, as Francis allowed in 2023, it must continue to affirm that marriage is between a man and a woman (Vatican News, 2023). This balance ensures the Church remains a sign of contradiction in a relativistic world, drawing people through love while leading them to truth.

The Path Forward: A Pope for Our Time

The conclave must elect a pope who embodies the best of John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis—a leader with evangelistic zeal, intellectual courage, and pastoral humility. This pope must preserve Francis’s legacy, including Traditionis Custodes, to avoid schism. The Church must continue to be a welcoming, missionary force, inviting all to encounter Christ while standing firm on its teachings.

Cardinals like Péter Erdő of Hungary, known for his theological depth and pastoral care, or Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, noted for his missionary energy and humility, could fit this mold (Catholic News Agency, 2025). Whoever is chosen, the next pope must lead with love, truth, and mission, ensuring the Church remains a light to the nations in an ever-changing world.

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References

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