The last time the Catholic Church’s cardinals picked a pope, they wanted an outsider to overhaul a scandal-plagued Vatican. They got more of a disrupter in Pope Francis than many had bargained for.
After Francis’ stormy 12-year pontificate, some cardinals now say they want a successor who can steady the ship and defuse tensions between progressives and conservatives over divorce, same-sex relationships, priestly celibacy and other contentious issues.
“Many cardinals are tired of the roller coaster that has been this pontificate. Many of them will look for some stability,” said Massimo Faggioli, a church historian at Villanova University.