EP 858 A Former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican on the Upcoming Conclave to Replace Pope Francis

 

 When we see the white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel, will it signify the more open and humanistic Papacy established by Pope Francis, the first South American Pope, or will it be a return to the more doctrinaire church led by his predecessor, Benedict XVI.  Time will tell.  To share his insights about it with us is Francis Rooney, the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See from 2005-2008.  He gives us his impressions about the changes in the Church under Pope Francis and assesses some of the leading figures who are mentioned as possible successors.  We reflect on Pope Francis’s legacy and how the Church has weathered the storms of the recent past.  We also ask Ambassador Rooney to discuss the Ukraine War and matters pertaining to the Trump Administration.  He was a Congressman from Florida for four years, from 2017 to 2021.  He is now affiliated with the Wilson Center.

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