Cardinal Calls On Next Pope To Stand Up to 'Gay Lobby'
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Cardinals Clash Over Pope Francis' Legacy Before Conclave
Above:Â Cardinals leave the Vatican after a College of Cardinals' meeting, on May 2, 2025 in Rome, Italy. Â Image copyright:Â Antonio Masiello/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Conservative narrative
Pope Francis' decade-long papacy devastated the Church through the calculated betrayal of its moral foundations. While masquerading as a humble reformer, he systematically protected predatory clergy, rewarding abusers and their enablers. His theological incoherence, capitulation to Communist China, and vindictive suppression of traditionalists shattered Catholic unity, leaving behind a morally bankrupt institution more concerned with political posturing than protecting the vulnerable.
Progressive narrative
Though some cardinals now grumble, history will not forget how Pope Francis, with humility and courage, cracked open the Vatican's fortress walls to let in light, compassion, and the voices of the forgotten. He embraced the poor, welcomed the marginalized, empowered women, and rekindled moral clarity in an age of cruelty. Francis didn't fracture the Church — he rehumanized it. He made the Church listen, reflect, and, most importantly, love. His critics cling to walls; he built bridges.