International
A very heterogeneous and divided conclave will elect the new pope
Despite having been elected mostly by Pope Francis, who died this Monday at the age of 88, the 135 cardinals from 71 countries who will form the conclave that will elect their successor are a heterogeneous group that is not known and without a common idea about the future of the Church, which will make them present themselves in the Sistine Chapel strongly divided.
There are many differences with respect to the conclave that met twelve years ago to elect Jorge Bergoglio: one is the number of cardinal electors, that is, those who are under 80 years old on the day of the pope’s resignation or death, which is much greater than on other occasions, and another, the largest number of countries from which they come.
“Yes, I think that the fact that the 135 voters come from 71 countries could have weight in the conclave, since a candidate needs two-thirds of the votes to be elected. In 2013, that meant 77 votes. In the next conclave, based on the current number of voters, it would be 91. To date, 68 voters come from Europe and North America,” analyzes Irish journalist Gerard O’Connell in his book “The election of Pope Francis: an intimate account of the conclave that changed history.”
In addition, “the fact that many of the cardinals do not know each other so well, except those who participated in the synod, could create some difficulties, so they will depend more on the ‘makers of kings’, who are esteemed and influential cardinals, many of them over 80 years old,” says the also correspondent in Rome of the magazine of the Society of Jesus, America Magazine.
For the analyst of the newspaper ‘Corriere della Sera’ Massimo Franco and author of several books on the Vatican, the conclave that chose Bergoglio “was born with a strong anti-Italian prejudice, because it was a conclave following the resignation of Benedict XVI and if then the unwritten slogan was no to an Italian pope, this time it will be no to a South American pope, perhaps he will probably become a European.”
Franco assures that “the conservative minority are the ones who have expressed themselves the most, but in reality there is a wide and silent gray area that he has obeyed out of loyalty, although in reality he has disapproved of many of Pope Francis’ behaviors.”
“They come from 71 nations and this is a problem because they are cardinals who do not know each other, who come from peripheral realities not only from a geographical point of view, but also from a demographic and religious point of view,” adds the journalist of the Milanese newspaper.
For Franco, the curial model has failed and also the model of Casa Santa Marta (formed by the pope and his small group of collaborators), so “there will be a discontinuity”.
While Massimo Faggioli, professor of the history of Christianity at the University of Villanova (USA), assures that with respect to 2013, “today there is no factor of a candidate already examined in the previous conclave.”
“Similar to that of 2005 is the situation of division in the Church before the decisions of the pope, which however during the pontificate of Francis emerged harshly also on the part of cardinals and bishops, in a different way than Benedict XVI,” he says.
He emphasizes that “an essential difference is the international situation, much more complicated and dangerous than in 2013, especially because of what is happening in the US and consequently in the world.”
“There are several cardinals who have been very critical of Francis on certain issues, but have lost influence and voice in recent years. They have been cautious, but in the conclave they could find support among those who are surprised and tired of a pontificate with so much novelty and turbulence,” he emphasizes.
However, O’Donnel believes that “that most substantially share their vision and are committed to synodality.
After talking to many cardinals created by Francis, voters are more likely to vote for a candidate who substantially shares his vision.”
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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