As the Catholic Church stands at a crossroads, its throne vacant and its flock besieged, the next pope will not merely shepherd 1.4 billion souls. He must be a lion, roaring in defence of Christianity, the most persecuted religion on the planet. And he must finally put up a fight for the Cross in Europe.
From the blood-soaked sands of Nigeria to the secularist salons of Brussels, the faith is under assault. Europe, once the beating heart of Christendom, now finds itself threatened by the rising tide of Islam and the corrosive acid of progressive ideology. No pope is allowed to overlook this anymore.
The times are crucial. The College of Cardinals must choose a leader who will not kneel to the forces that menace Christendom but stand tall, wielding the cross as both shield and sword. Christianity’s plight is undeniable. The Open Doors World Watch List reports that over 365 million Christians face high levels of persecution, with 5,621 killed for their faith in 2024 alone.
In Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, jihadist groups slaughter believers. In China, the communist boot crushes underground churches. Even in the West, where physical martyrdom is rare, cultural annihilation thrives. Churches in Europe stand empty, repurposed as mosques or museums, while Islam’s influence grows demographically, politically, culturally.
The West’s elites, drunk on relativism, applaud this erosion, demanding that Christians embrace “diversity” while silencing their creed. This is not tolerance. It is surrender.
The next pope must reject this spinelessness. Pope Francis too often flirted with progressive ideals – his conciliatory gestures toward China’s regime, his environmental crusades, his ambiguity on moral absolutes. These softened the Church’s resolve, leaving it vulnerable.
The faithful need a conservative titan, not another diplomat chasing applause from secularists. The candidates whispered as papabile offer a spectrum, but most do not serve Christendom’s survival.
Cardinal Péter Erdő of Hungary stands out as a conservative pillar, his canon law expertise and experience under communism forging a leader unafraid to uphold tradition. His leadership of European bishops and ties to Orbán’s defiant Hungary make him a prime choice to rally Christendom against secularism and Islam’s rise.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo of the DRC, shaped by jihadist threats to Christians, brings frontline courage but risks diluting Catholicism’s mission with pluralist leanings, while Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, despite bold warnings about Islam, shows hesitancy that could undermine a warrior papacy.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s diplomatic face, is tainted by his compromising deals with China, betraying persecuted Catholics and disqualifying him for a Church needing strength. Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Guinean traditionalist, electrifies conservatives with his unyielding stance against progressive ideologies, but his age and polarising style may hinder his chances.
The conclave’s choice is no mere ritual. Christianity’s decline in Europe -where only 18 per cent of Catholics attend mass regularly- demands a pope who will halt the haemorrhage. The faith grows in Africa and Asia, but even there, it faces swords and censorship.
A progressive pope, bending to the West’s secular dogmas, would accelerate the erosion of Christian culture, reducing the Church to a toothless NGO. A conservative pope, rooted in doctrine, will rally the faithful, defend the persecuted, and confront Islam’s advance not with fear but with truth.
This is no time for weakness. The next pope must embody the spirit of the First Crusade’s cry: Deus Vult — God wills. He must be a general, not a conciliator, and a man of moral clarity. And if he is European, he will be better positioned to reclaim Christendom’s heartland. The stakes could not be higher: The Church’s survival, and Europe’s soul.
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