To teach contrary to the apostolic faith would automatically deprive the pope of his office. We must all pray and work courageously to spare the Chur… - Gerhard Ludwig Müller

Non si tratta di uno stupido gioco di potere come nel film Conclave. Spero solo che i cardinali non si facciano influenzare dalla lettura dei titoli di stampa. Francesco è sempre stato ben visto dai media e quindi c'è il rischio che qualcuno dica: Dobbiamo andare avanti così. Il Papa deve essere ortodosso. La questione non è fra conservatorismo e progressismo, ma fra ortodossia ed eresia. Un papa eretico, che cambiasse direzione ogni giorno a seconda di quello che dicono i media, sarebbe catastrofico.

This is not a stupid power game like in the film Conclave. I only hope that the cardinals will not be influenced by reading the headlines. Francis has always been well regarded by the media and so there is a risk that someone will say: We must go on like this. The Pope must be orthodox. The question is not between conservatism and progressivism, but between orthodoxy and heresy. A heretical pope, who changed direction every day depending on what the media said, would be catastrophic.

A chapter in the history of the Church has come to a close. When it comes to his pontificate, opinions vary. There is unanimous appreciation for Francis' commitment to migrants, the poor and overcoming divisions between the centre and the periphery; on the other hand, however, he has been somewhat ambiguous at times, for example when he spoke to Eugenio Scalfari about resurrection. With Pope Benedict XVI, we had perfect theological clarity, but everyone has their own charisma and abilities, and I think Pope Francis had more of these in the social sphere.