Is John XXIV on his way? Yes, but also no. The rest of the story, “a rumor, a tip-off, if we want to call it that. The kind that makes you jump out of your seat . . .
". . . but for intellectual honesty and professional rigor, must always be taken with caution."
The story, by Gaetano Masciullo | Remnant Columnist . . :
"Parolin has already secured the majority. On the afternoon of May 8, white smoke. Pontifical name: John XXIV.
“Yet, within hours another voice reported the same thing to me, this time from a different source, equally well-connected within curial circles.
“Coincidence? Pure suggestion? It's not for me to say. The sources, to be clear, are reliable. But reliable is not synonymous with infallible.”
Continued:
“Conservatives . . . have rallied around the Hungarian cardinal Péter Erdö, . . . seen as aligned with the Wojtyła-Ratzinger-[Cardinal] Scola legacy — popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI and 2013 also-ran].
“But . . . the real surprise, according to these . . . leaks [is] a behind-the-scenes . . . understanding between Parolin and the conservatives led by Erdö.
“Parolin is said to have promised, in exchange for conservative support, a revision—or at least a “neutralization”—of Traditionis custodes and Fiducia supplicans.
“It seems that conservatives . . . hope to form a united front against Tolentino de Mendonça, who would certainly be a far worse choice for pope than Parolin, but also against Zuppi and Aveline.
“French Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco told the Italian press that the new Pope will not be Francis II, stating: ‘Peace is needed. . . . I don’t believe this will be a long Conclave. It's an intuition I had even before arriving in Rome.’
“Venezuelan Cardinal Porras Cardozo echoed the sentiment, saying, ‘There is convergence; I think the Conclave will last a couple of days.’
“Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako of Baghdad said, ‘It will be a short conclave, lasting two or three days. I have a very clear idea [he said when asked whom he will vote for], but I cannot say it.’
“In short, official statements from the cardinals themselves seem to lend some credibility to the unofficial leaks—though they remain unverified.
“However, caution is warranted. The cardinalial [cardinal-focused] chessboard is never without countermoves, and the Conclave might prove to be far from brief, especially if the Parolin vs. Tolentino standoff reaches a frustrating deadlock.
“Take, for instance, Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who, despite being excluded from the Conclave, is reportedly working to hinder Parolin—understandably, given his sense of betrayal.
“Meanwhile, the ultra-octogenarian cardinals—though without voting rights—are said to be exerting significant influence. Among them, familiar names: Giovanni Battista Re, Leonardo Sandri, and Beniamino Stella, a key supporter of Parolin.
“On the other side stands the steadfast Camillo Ruini—likely the deus ex machina behind Erdö’s faction—who, in an interview with the renowned Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera, stated:
“We need a good Pope, one with governance skills, capable of navigating an extremely delicate and dangerous international phase. And we need a charitable Pope—charitable even in managing the Church.”
“This statement, published precisely on April 29, seems, when read between the lines, to validate the corridor rumors of a pro-Parolin agreement. The phrase “good Pope” (Papa buono) inevitably evokes the figure of Pope Roncalli [John XXIII], whom Cardinal Parolin is known to admire.
“Parolin aspires to be a pragmatic Pope—revolutionary, yes, but with measured deceleration, tempering reformist impulses while avoiding any reversal. A Pope, indeed, "with governance skills, capable of navigating an extremely delicate and dangerous international phase."
“The Conclave is not an exact science. Rumors spread, strategies shift, names rise and fall like tides. Let us pray unceasingly that the cardinals may elect a Godly pope.
“The widespread need for a Pope deeply familiar with global geopolitics appears undeniable—one able to maneuver through the complex realities of conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, Trump and Europe, China and Taiwan, Israel and Palestine, India and Pakistan.
“In short, what is needed is a diplomatic pope—not a theologian like Ratzinger, but neither a politician like Bergoglio.
“Yet, this is where a misunderstanding might arise. If Parolin is now considered the “acceptable conservative”, then the Church is indeed witnessing extraordinary times. One can only hope that Cardinal Joseph Zen—long a prophetic voice and a staunch opponent of Parolin due to the controversial secret agreements with Beijing—can still make his influence felt.
“If he manages to steer the conservative front toward a position of clear discontinuity—not just in contrast to Tolentino but also to Parolin himself—then there may still be a chance to rebalance the dynamics of the Conclave, moving beyond a choice that risks becoming a dead end.
“Not everything is set in stone, indeed. A name is quietly circulating—without proclamations or media pushes: Pierbattista Pizzaballa. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, a front-line shepherd, a mediator, yet firm in doctrine. Someone who might appeal to both reformists and conservatives. Younger by curial standards, Franciscan at heart, attentive to the poor and marginalized in a way that feels distinct from the ideological approach adopted by Bergoglio.
“Amid these crucial days, between solemn silences and discreet maneuvering, one certainty remains: the Conclave is not an exact science. Rumors spread, strategies shift, names rise and fall like tides. Let us pray unceasingly that the cardinals may elect a pope according to God's hearth. And let us wait, with watchful and vigilant minds, for the white smoke. Who lives, shall see.”
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Five Jesus quotes to keep one’s eyes on the prize:
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)
“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
“Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
And a touch of Holy Writ in which Paul analyzes Jesus and socks it to us as followers:
Philippians. 2:5-11
Brethren: For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man.
He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause, God also hath exalted him and hath given him a name which is above all names: That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, (here all kneel) of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.
In the memorable if not immortal words of Bugs Bunny, “that’s all, folks.”
For now . . .