The division behind the scenes in the Vatican

The Santa Marta pension of the Vatican has 128 rooms. From 7 May it will be filled with cardinals who participate in the conclave to choose the next pope. But a room in the guesthouse is still sealed with a red ribbon, as it has died there since the resident on Easter Monday.

That suite is only reopened when the new pope is chosen. The ribbon remains a tangible memory of the man whose shoes want to fill the cardinals – but the presence of Pope Francis looms in many in -depth ways over this conclave.

He spent 12 years in the role and named around 80% of the cardinals who will select his successor. He also looked to radically shake up the functioning of the Catholic Church and to move its center of gravity from his hierarchy in the Vatican in the direction of believers around the world, and concentrated on the arms and marginalized.

My conversations with cardinals and those who judge the needs of the church in the days that have led to this papal election almost always look at what is needed by the prism of what Pope Francis has done in the role.

Although there seems to have been a growing coalescence in recent days around the idea that Francis’s work should be built on, some of his critics are far from convinced. So can there be enough of them to influence the mood if the church tries to reconcile the different prospects and realities with which it is confronted all over the world?

During the two weeks that followed the death of the Pope, the cardinals met almost daily in the Vatican for pre-Conclave meetings known as general municipalities.

Although the conclave in the Sistine Chapel is limited to cardinals who have not yet reached the age of 80 (133 will participate in this), these provisional meetings are open for all 252 cardinals. Each participant received a maximum of five minutes to broadcast their views, although we know that some took longer.

It was during such a meeting prior to the last conclave of 2013, in a speech that lasted less than four minutes, that Pope Francis – then known as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina – had an impact, talking about a need to make contact with that in the distant of the Catholic world.

As a pope, he made a conscious drive to appoint cardinals of such places. That is why this is the most diverse conclave that there has ever been. For the first time, Cape Verde, Haiti, Zuid -Sudan, Tonga, Myanmar, Papua -New -Guinea and Rwanda will be represented.

That diversity has left all its mark: the pre-Conclave meetings would have shown how different the needs of the church seem to be dependent on where they are being viewed in the world.

In Europe, for example, a primary consideration can be found for some ways to breathe new life into and make it relevant of the mission of the church in the light of shrinking congregations, while elsewhere – in African or Asian countries – it can be concerned about social issues, poverty and conflict solution.

A potential pope is probably someone who has shown at least recognition of those very different realities.

The official titles that the new Pope will inherit give a sense of the width of the role: bishop of Rome, vicar of Jesus Christ, successor to the prince of the apostles, highest pontiff of the Universal Church, sovereign of the state of Vatican.

While some relate to the deep spiritual, the last of those titles also suggests the need for a statesman, given that the pope is leader of a country, albeit the smallest in the world.

“In contrast to your average state, the agenda of the Vatican is driven to a certain extent by where the pope rules at the time puts their emphasis,” says Chris Trott, British ambassador at the holy chair. “At first glance a very small state, (but it is) that hits many, many times above his weight.

“And Pope Francis had 50 million followers on Twitter, so (it is) a very, very small state and an incredible global influencer.”

Pope Franciscus chose to strengthen this part of the role and become a powerful global spokesperson on behalf of those in the margin, including the poor and victims of war.

He also tried to play the role of peacemaker, although not everyone thought he was successful in that respect, especially China and Russia.

According to Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the most senior Catholic figure in England and Wales, this expansion of the role is a reason why so much even beyond faith is invested in the outcome of the conclave.

“There is a feeling that the pope in the person of Pope Francis became a figure who appealed to everyone in the world … Religious people and even those who have no religious beliefs,” he says.

“I am more aware that it is not only Catholics who are interested in this.”

For many voting cardinals, it is primarily issues within the Catholic Church that are in the spotlight, which entails the question of the type of pope they want as a manager, and someone who runs the administrative body of the church and its ministries.

Although Pope Francis worked on improving the way in which the church deals with the enormous issues of sexual abuse and financial corruption, it is his successor to ensure that reforms are applied evenly in the Catholic world.

Even supporters of the efforts of Pope Francis to make changes to the way in which the church relates to its believers in the rank and the file, and the way in which he built bridges with those outside faith, were sometimes confused about how exactly he had in mind.

Pope Francis changed the tone on social issues due to comments he made, talking openly about topics ranging from climate change to financial transparency within the Vatican. But during his papacy, some were unclear about what he meant or how it would be applied.

A mission he had was to remove part of the power and decision -making from the Vatican hierarchy and in the hands of Catholics of the rank and traffic jam.

For almost four years, with great effort, he commissioned what was in fact a poll of many of the world Catholics to find out what was important for it. Leks were invited to participate in the most recent Bishop Conference where the results of the survey were discussed.

The biggest problems that emerged are related to larger roles for women in running the church and the welcome of LGBT+ Catholics. But the meeting ended in some confusion, with little in the form of tangible steps ahead and little clarity about how lay people will help send the future direction of the church.

So there is a general sharpness for more clarity of the new pope.

During his pontificate, some vocal traditionalists opposed what they saw as Pope Francis who wandered from church education and long -term tradition.

In the pre-Conclave meetings of cardinals, a number of those older than 80 (who would not be involved in voting because of their age) made the opportunity to play their bit.

Most of the contributions remained secret, but one that was reported was that of the 83-year-old Italian cardinal, Beniamino Stella. He criticized Pope Francis for “imposing his own ideas” by trying to move church board of the clergy.

And yet during the homily or religious speech, at the funeral of Pope Francis, which seemed to resonate with the audience present – based on the part of the applause – about the themes that Francis chose to champion: the dignity of migrants, an end to war and the environment.

This applause would have been heard loudly and clearly by the rows of cardinals.

In some respects, Pope Francis had clarity in focusing on the church that was relevant to people in their daily lives and, indeed, their struggles. He was clear about connecting with the world outside of faith.

“There is a feeling that there is a voice of something needed in the pope’s voice,” says Cardinal Nichols. “For some people it is a moral compass, for some people it is the feeling of being accepted, for some people it is the insistence that we have to view things from the point of view of the poorest.

“That is a voice that has become quiet and our job is to find someone who can transport it.”

From the death of Pope Francis to the moment that Cardinals in the Santa Marta Pension and the landing homes were checked in, there seemed to be a trend in the direction of a desire for continuity of what Pope Francis had achieved.

Although perhaps that vision of continuity there is one that could take more of his skeptics with them, in a way that was pragmatic. The word “unity” is talked about much, after a period in which the refers between supporters and opponents of the pope’s vision can sometimes become ugly.

But in the end, when they step into the Sistine Chapel, the holiest voting rooms, for all pragmatism they can be taken into consideration before they cast their votes, they will be encouraged to let God and the Holy Spirit lead them.

Topficet Credit: Getty Images

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