Elliot Fylstra|Marlin Chronicle
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, passed away on April 21, Easter Monday. “It’s sad he’s gone, but […] in a lot of ways, it was beautiful,” Marianne McMillin, a professional tutor with the Learning Center, said of the timing.
He was known for his stance on LGBTQ marriage that allowed for same sex couples to be blessed and for expanding the power of women in the Catholic Church, though they are still unable to be ordained. These choices weren’t popular with the conservative sections of the Church, McMillin said. She heard some people expressed disappointment that women were still not in positions of authority in the church.
“There are ways in which Pope Francis put a more human touch on issues, just as there are ways in which he affirmed traditional Catholic doctrine,” Dr. Eric Mazur, professor of Religious Studies and Religion, Law and Policy fellow of the Robert Nusbaum Center, said.
Elliot Fylstra|Marlin Chronicle
During his time as pope, Francis prioritized working with marginalized groups. “The thing I appreciate about the pope […] is that he stood up for some important societal issues,” President Scott Miller said. “We’re in a better place as a result of him serving as pope.”
Francis, “was seen as invested personally with the people — both parishioners and non-Catholics,” Mazur said. “His impact was to bring a sense of warmth to the Papal office, and that this impact would have been greater had he served in that office longer,” Mazur said.
The election for a new pope is in progress, and any baptized Roman Catholic man under the age of 80 is eligible for election, though there is a long set precedent for those elected to be cardinals.
The electors meet together in Rome and vote multiple times a day on the future pope, without contact with the outside world, and remain there until a two-thirds majority is reached. In the election, Mazur said there is speculation that the next pope may come from Africa or Asia, which would reflect Catholicism’s growing influence in Africa and may bolster its spread in Asia.
A common phrase mentioned by McMillin about the conclave is that ‘a cardinal that walks into the conclave expecting to be pope will leave a cardinal,’ which mainly is a warning against hubris and trying too hard to predict the next pope.
Virginia Wesleyan, which is affiliated with the Methodist church, has a substantial population of Catholics, according to Miller. “We serve all students,” Miller said, noting that campus ministries intentionally does not specify any particular denomination.
By Clay Yokom
