COUNTDOWN:
PAPABILE: WHO WILL BE THE NEXT POPE
A BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF THE VATICAN
HERE ARE 10 CARDINALS MOST LIKELY TO ASCEND TO THE PAPACY.
Tonight, we begin our journey through the profiles of 10 Cardinals who could ascend to the highest office in the Catholic Church. Church Gist. These figures drawn from vastly different corners of the World, each bring a unique perspective, a personal story and a theological compass that could steer the Church for generations to come.
Let’s begin with number 10;
- Cardinal Wim Eijk, The Doctor of Doctrine: At the 10th spot stands a figure of quiet resolve and intellectual precision, Cardinal Wim Eijk, the 71 year old Archbishop of Utrecht. Before answering the call to priesthood, Eijk trained as a medical doctor dedicating himself to the healing of bodies. But eventually, he traded the operating room for the Cardinal choosing instead to treat what he saw as a deeper ailment, the moral and spiritual drift of modern society. Church Gist. That same clinical discipline now defines his approach to theology. Known for his firm stance on doctrinal matters, Eijk has often voiced concern about what he perceives as the Church’s ambiguity on issues such as marriage, communion and moral relativism.
He has publicly expressed disagreement with some of Pope Francis’ more progressive gestures, placing himself firmly with the conservative camp. To his supporters, he is a surgeon of the soul, precise, unwavering and essential. To his critics, he is too rooted in the past to effectively navigate the Church through the complexities of the present. Church Gist. Imagine for a moment, a Dutch Pope, a former physician turned shepherd whose steady hands now work to suture the torn fabric of tradition; could such a figure unify a Church at crossroads or would his unyielding defense of doctrine deepen internal divides? That question may soon find its answer within the conclave.
Watch out for the next later today!
Source: Messenger of God
#ChurchGist
