EPISODE 935: IS THIS POPE FRANCIS’ LAST YEAR?
Spilling the tea on a pope that has been giving Catholic realness for a very long time.
Hi and welcome back to Pop Culture Spirit Wow. Since my last post I have a received a very satisfying number of “Ay yi yi”s from people, for which I thank you very kindly. I hope they bring you as much as pleasure as they have me.
I was planning to mix things up a bit and do a good old-fashioned episode with a Wownd Up and other pop culture joy, including love for Slow Horses, which I have finally begun and if you haven’t you should too, because Gary Oldman Gary Oldman Gary Oldman.
But as you may know, Pope Francis is never happier than when he gets to do a death drop, and he landed another one yesterday that has me asking a big question: Is Papa Francesco getting ready to sashay away?
Fam, let’s kiki.
SHE OWNS EVERYTHING
Yesterday Pope Francis announced the names of 21 new cardinals, including just one from North America, Archbishop Francis Leo of Toronto.
Cardinals under the age of 80 elect the pope. And while it’s not required, in practice they always pick one of their own. So who Francis chooses and how many he has chosen are the subject of a lot of attention.
At this point, Francis has picked 80% of the cardinals who can vote, which is pretty astonishing, and has most people thinking the next pope will be cut from a similar cloth. Personally, based on the last 75 years of popes, I think it’s a safer guess that the next guy will surprise people.
With this new set of cardinals, Francis has also increased the total number of voting cardinals from 120—which had been the agreed upon number for the last 50 years—to 140. Which is a little like announcing there will be 2 new Supreme Court justices, except on a Supreme Court where you’ve also picked 7 of the other 9 (and God I wish that were possible right now).
All of which is to say, in terms of influence over the future direction of the church, Francis has done the werq. If he was going to step down, there’s no better moment.
SHE IS SERVING CHOREOGRAPHY
The announcement of the new cardinals also took place just as the second round of the Synod on Synodality has gotten started. Round one was kind of a hot mess, both in the sense that after all kinds of talk about transparency and shared responsibility everything that happened in the Synod was kept a secret, and in the sense that Francis took a number of topics that had been discussed there and unilaterally acted on them rather than waiting for the second round of conversations.
It’s unclear how year two will differ, but what is clear is that this whole process has captured much of what Francis has been trying to teach the church his whole papacy— allow disagreement as not just a necessity but a gift; empower those who aren’t priests and a global church; and come up with plans of action that proceed not from ideology but pastoral care.
When the Synod ends, and whatever final papers or actions plans are released—which could be right around the time those cardinals are installed in December—Francis could well be said to have done everything he could, maybe everything he set out to do.
Also, 2025 is a jubilee year, a time the church as a whole will celebrate and pray in a special way. It’d be a nice moment to step down, and a great platform for the next guy to establish himself.
The man’s instincts for timing and impact have always been fierce. This will not be different.
SHE HAS BROKEN THE DAWN, Y’ALL
Some may argue that Francis will want to stick around for at least another year, both to look after the enactment of whatever the Synod brings, and so that he can enjoy the jubilee year celebrations. Call it a victory lap.
Some of those are valid points, though I’m not sure “victory lap” is an idea that Francis would ever consider. This lady does not rest on pretty.
And it’s for that reason, maybe more than any of the others, that I think we’re in the last year of Pope Francis. He’s 87 years old, his physical health has been on the decline—which is a polite way of saying not only that he’s got ailments, but also I suspect that he’s often in a lot of pain—and he’s just not the type to stick around if he feels like he’s getting in the way. Honestly, I wonder whether he would have stepped down already if not for the Synod. Google his name and search for photos. In so so many he just doesn’t look well.
There’s that famous moment in the first season of Drag Race where Akashia has to lip sync for her life to Michelle Williams’ song “We Break the Dawn.” And she delivers to such an extent that Williams actually cries. “To break the dawn” became its own catchphrase, meaning to give everything you had. To leave it all on the table.
That’s Pope Francis, head to heel, tiara to toe.
I’d like to say I’m not wishing for Pope Francis to retire in the next 6-12 months, but honestly, I am. It’s not that I want him to go. I want him to have the chance to sit back and see the church he has helped bring to life without also having to be responsible for it.
Jesuits frequently don’t retire until they are physically unable to work. They came to serve and all that. It’s admirable, but it can also mean that guys miss out on a really meaningful part of life. Francis has put so many good things in motion, and set the table for such an interesting and hopeful future. I think he should get the chance to watch some of it unfold.
Sissy that walk one last time, Papa Francesco. Give us a last Halleloo, a smart wave. Then, go give yourself a rest.
If you’re in New York tonight, I’m performing with Living Radio at St. Mark’s Place!
Thanks for reading. See you back here later this week!