Expectations of Francis' successor: After the Pope is before the Pope

The hymns of praise have been sung. The late Pope found his final resting place in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore this weekend – in an inconspicuous tomb adorned only with the name – in its Latin form – that the Argentinian cleric adopted twelve years ago when he was elected head of the Catholic Church: "Francis."

In the coming weeks, eligible cardinals from around the world must agree on a successor. There is wild speculation about who this new man might be at the head of the Catholic Church, with its 1.4 billion believers worldwide. But the more rumors circulate—about suitable candidates and the continents they might come from—the more open the race appears, paradoxically.

The wishes and hopes that many Catholics have for the yet-to-be-elected pontiff are already more concrete. For example, Guido Funke, curate of the German-speaking community in Rome, says: "I would like to see the things initiated by Pope Francis now properly organized and further developed."

As simple as can be: the tomb of Francis in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Source: Christoph Reichwein/dpa

The Argentinian-born man acted very much on emotion, but often didn't stay on the ball for long during his twelve-year pontificate, says the Thuringian native, who has been a chaplain in Rome since September, responsible for, among other things, Erasmus students. "The bold new beginnings Francis has dared to make should not remain merely new beginnings, but should also be made concrete," he explains.

Maximilian Böck, who was able to secure a seat near the front of the podium at the memorial service for the late Francis, expressed a similar sentiment. "I think a pope would be good who, on the one hand, brings with him the legacy of Francis with his concern for the poor, the sick, and migrants, and, on the other hand, also brings with him the good aspects of Pope Benedict with his theology," says the 33-year-old, who is originally from Munich and has lived in Rome for a decade. "That would be a wonderful mix."

The elective assembly of church leaders, the so-called conclave, will begin on May 6 at the earliest and May 11 at the latest. By then, the eligible cardinals should get to know each other better. Many are participating for the first time; Francis has appointed a whopping 149 cardinals during his reign. Among them are many who are not from Europe. "I think the conclave will certainly be a bit more complicated," says Böck, "and it might take a bit longer this time."

There is no time limit, however: The election of a new pope can be over in a few hours – but it can also take weeks, months, or even years. Recently, white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel every few days – symbolizing that a candidate had received the necessary two-thirds majority. The chapel has been closed to the public since this Monday and is now being extensively secured, including against listening devices.

Three of the dignitaries who will choose the next bishop are from Germany. During the conclave, they will have to sleep in the Santa Marta guesthouse in the Vatican, isolated from the outside world. Francis apparently liked it there—he simply didn't move out after his election in 2013. Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne, who also had to live there back then and now faces the same situation again, has less fond memories of his time in the modern building complex. In an interview a few days ago, he explained that there was no natural light in the rooms, the windows were sealed, and the shutters were closed.

In a conversation with members of a German pilgrimage group aboard a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Rome last Thursday, Woelki expressed his hope that the conclave would not last too long this time either. However, the archbishop did not publicly comment on potentially promising candidates for the papacy, the so-called papabile.

His fellow pope from Munich, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, also anticipates a relatively short retreat – as has been customary since the 1960s. The Bavarian is considered to be well-connected in the European Church and was therefore already described in the Italian media on the day of Francis's funeral as one of the "kingmakers." However, Marx firmly rejects this role. Ultimately, a new pope must be found who is "truly good for everyone," he emphasizes. He certainly will not "push things forward in the background that are not really correct."

Final ritual: Giovanni Battista Re, head of the College of Cardinals, blesses Francis’s coffin.

Source: IMAGO/Catholicpressphoto

"Good for everyone" probably means someone who holds the universal Church together—with its diverse currents and speeds. The crux of this is that the Pope is not only head of the Church, but also Bishop of Rome—and thus must fit in well with Italy. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born in Buenos Aires in 1936 to Italian immigrants, did this very well as Pope Francis.

The outpouring of sympathy on Saturday was correspondingly heartfelt and numerous. St. Peter's Square filled with believers early in the morning , who then waited for hours in the blazing sun. A quarter of a million people attended the requiem for the late pontiff – another 150,000 people lined the streets as the Pope's body was carried to his final resting place.

Farewell with shopping bags: Believers wait in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for the final encounter.

Source: IMAGO/Avalon.red

"He was a pope who was among the people and had an open heart for everyone," said the elderly head of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, summing up Francis's twelve-year pontificate in his homily. The faithful repeatedly affirmed his statements about the late pope with applause – for example, when he emphasized his commitment to peace or to refugees. This also struck the attention of the chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Georg Bätzing. "You could feel the sympathy," he said, referring to the reaction of the crowds in Rome.

Giovanni Battista Re also recalled how the late Pontifex Maximus – in English: the supreme bridge builder – was able to inspire a wide variety of people for himself and his mission and ultimately bring them together.

In the spirit of Francis: Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at their one-on-one meeting in Rome.

Source: ZUMA / Zuma Press

In a way, the Pope even managed to do this again at his funeral: US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, used the opportunity for a brief private conversation. Images of the two heads of state sitting opposite each other in the nave of the church immediately went viral. It was their first meeting since Trump had reprimanded Zelensky in front of live cameras at the White House in February. Talking to each other now was certainly in Francis's best interest.