this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2025
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Breaking news: Pope Francis is still dead.

[–] MudMan@fedia.io 410 points 1 week ago (42 children)

I am surpringly annoyed about Americans somehow finding a way to make this about themselves.

In reality I'm much more worried about the likely counterreformist pushback that is likely about to happen. We're about to find out if a remarkably powerful organization's leader was able to seed enough support to secure a politically aligned successor, and if the answer is "no" a bunch of organizations are about to get even more ruthlessly conservative at a time when a new strain of fascism is seeking moral support. The Catholic Church has been here before. It didn't go well.

[–] Wildfire0Straggler3@lemm.ee 230 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

"Francis appointed nearly 80% of the cardinal electors who will choose the next pope, increasing the possibility that his successor will continue his progressive policies, despite the strong pushback from traditionalists."

https://www.reuters.com/world/pope-francis-has-died-vatican-says-video-statement-2025-04-21/

[–] Microw@lemm.ee 84 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The catch is that he did not appoint by ideology. His appointments were mainly based on the guys doing work for poor people, for migrants, and on them doing their jobs in the global south.

Quite a few of these he made cardinals are somewhat conservative in their views, especially regarding sexuality

[–] Emtity_13@lemmy.sdf.org 25 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It helps a bit that typically those that have more compassion tend to be more liberal, but in general even the more liberal Catholics tend to be somewhat conservative

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[–] philpo 107 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (9 children)

Yeah. It's more than annoying, especially as it's the same old Vance joke again and again and again. Which isn't even clever.

I am not a Christian by any means but I worked with them quite often. Francis did change a lot of things and while he wasn't in no way perfect - he did have his drawbacks, for a fucking pope he was much better than anyone before him within the last few hundred years. People (especially on the internet)nowadays expect other people, especially political leaders to "check all their boxes" and if one thing is not going as far as they want, they are alienated.

Often I have the impression that as long as someone is not going "all the way" in the right direction they are seen as bad as someone who does not do anything at all or goes in the wrong direction. (Which is ironic because the church itself has evolved past the "saint or sinner" directive)

Francis has been going in the right direction probably 60% of the way and 10% in the wrong direction. Is the Catholic church there yet? No. Is there a big chance it might turn back? Yes. Would he been elected if he was so reformist it was sure he would topple everything and go 100%? Surely not.

But he did much more than any of his predecessors did.

Any much more most commenters do.

Besides: It's okay to feel sorry for an old man dying. That's called fucking compassion. I work in healthcare and have seen a lot of people die. I feel sorry for almost all of them.

In the end a human has died. Period.

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[–] garfaagel@sh.itjust.works 42 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I don't expect a conservative backlash, on the contrary Francis's Pontificate has weakened the conservative wing considerably. Given that 80% of the voting cardinals were appointed by Pope Francis, I would expect them to elect a successor that continues in the same direction, perhaps even a more radical one.

During his pontificate Francis also made a lot of efforts to bring in new groups into the corridors of power. Not only by his appointment of cardinals, but also e.g. by reforming the Curia with Praedicate evangelium.

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[–] oppy1984@lemm.ee 26 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

As a non-Catholic American, I have the same worry for the global geopolitics. It just so happens that the united states is part of those geopolitics.

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[–] random_character_a@lemmy.world 266 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Yeah, meeting JD Vance can be too much for anyone.

[–] BestBouclettes@jlai.lu 87 points 1 week ago (1 children)

We should spread the news that Vance killed him!

[–] match@pawb.social 43 points 1 week ago

vance liz truss'd the pope

[–] Hawk@lemmy.dbzer0.com 45 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Honestly, it's not even hat far fetched. He probably denied visits because he was in bad health, yet Americans probably pushed to meet anyway

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[–] realitista@lemm.ee 159 points 1 week ago (40 children)

I'm actually sad about this one. He was by far the best pope of my lifetime.

[–] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 111 points 1 week ago (12 children)
[–] realitista@lemm.ee 87 points 1 week ago

True but he exceeded the existing bar by a lot.

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[–] Dogiedog64@lemmy.world 137 points 1 week ago (3 children)
[–] bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone 70 points 1 week ago (2 children)

JD Vance: "How long have you worked here?"

[–] barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 56 points 1 week ago

"Have you said Thanks, even once?"

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[–] merdaverse@lemmy.world 125 points 1 week ago (5 children)

It's a true shame. Francis was the most "eco-socialist" pope we are going to get. Managing to offend entrenched conservatives deserves respect.

[–] Stovetop@lemmy.world 27 points 1 week ago

As others have said, Francis also stacked the electors who will be deciding the next pope, so it is possible that his successor will also be just as progressive (well, progressive for the leader of a conservative religious institution, at least).

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[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 120 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I fucking hate you Vance, this is your fault!

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[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 115 points 1 week ago (2 children)

This is huge, pinning it for now.

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[–] harmsy@lemmy.world 114 points 1 week ago (17 children)

Guys. Joe Biden is Catholic. The Vatican has an opportunity to do the funniest thing ever.

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[–] DioEgizio@lemm.ee 108 points 1 week ago (1 children)

JD Vance visits the Vatican, the pope literally dies

I guess he didn't say "thank you"

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[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 77 points 1 week ago (13 children)

Pope is recovering;

  • meets JD Vance

  • dies a couple days later....

Hmm

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[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 76 points 1 week ago (3 children)

let's wait a couple days and see if he comes back

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[–] lennybird@lemmy.world 66 points 1 week ago (8 children)

The child in me kind of wishes he had passed on 4/20 Easter, but alas.

That being said, while I'm not religious I appreciate a lot (not all) of what this Pope has done. His Apostolic Exhortation on the Idolatry of Money, and the gross inequality wrought by capitalism is worth a read.

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[–] rambling_lunatic@sh.itjust.works 66 points 1 week ago (8 children)

He was an alright Pope in the end. Not a soulless bastard like Benedict.

[–] WhiteRabbit@lemmy.today 25 points 1 week ago (3 children)

He even opted out of the traditional, expensive papal funeral and requested to just be laid in state and then buried in a wooden coffin lined with zinc.

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[–] WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works 58 points 1 week ago (14 children)

Looks like it's time for another pope race. I would like to throw my hat in the ring. As a lapsed Catholic trans woman who's never so much as visited a seminary, I know I'm an unorthodox choice. But maybe it's time to mix things up. My central campaign planks? We're going to bring back indulgences and try to make the Papal States a thing again. Also, expect skits and improv sessions to have a big place in Catholic mass in the future!

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[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 56 points 1 week ago (10 children)

Gfdi. I'm not religious, but knowing that Catholics are going to choose a new Pope, I can only look forward to more bad news of comformity to godawful world news in the form of a shitty New Pope who inspires and empowers all the shitty people.

Great, one more thing to make the world even worse.

[–] ssfckdt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 33 points 1 week ago (1 children)

There's some hope.... part of Francis' papacy involved him promoting more open-minded cardinals (who are the ones who choose popes) but we'll see

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[–] Realitaetsverlust@lemmy.zip 56 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

"That was because he refused to welcome god-king JD vance in person!!!! God punished the pope for his impertinence!!!!"

- Some MAGA-Nut somewhere, probably

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[–] rickdg@lemmy.world 47 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Yeah, “guess I’ll die” is a normal reaction to meeting JD.

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[–] Bieren@lemmy.world 45 points 1 week ago (20 children)

This is sad. He was indeed a great pope. But, WTF did JD do?

[–] oliver@lemmy.skumring.com 43 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Probably, he finished him...

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[–] pepperonisalami@sh.itjust.works 41 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Pope: dies

Corpo God : "We are happy to announce the relocation of Pope Francis to his next steps within the company. We are thankful for their contribution for the last 12 years and we look forward to their future achievements. BR, management.

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[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 39 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Boy asks Pope if his atheist father is in heaven.

Humility, patience, kindness, grace, and rationality. Would that we should have more leaders like him in the future.

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[–] merdaverse@lemmy.world 30 points 1 week ago (3 children)
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[–] Thorgrem@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago

May he rest in peace.

[–] Freshparsnip@lemm.ee 27 points 1 week ago

Bring him back, take Trump instead

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