The Next Pope’s Agenda With Pope Francis in critical condition and an extraordinary consistory approaching, the Church faces a decisive moment. We pray for his health and perseverance, yet his waning strength suggests his pontificate may soon end. The consistory could serve as a prelude for a conclave. Will the next pope hold Pope Francis accountable for his actions of causing harm to the Deposit of the Faith? While we embrace Jesus’ infinite mercy, it is important to recognize that His justice serves as a counterbalance. History recalls this stark precedent when Pope Stephen VI conducted the Cadaver Synod. In 897, Pope Stephen VI had the body of his predecessor, Pope Formosus, exhumed and put on trial. Formosus’ corpse was dressed in papal vestments and propped up on a throne while Stephen VI accused him of perjury and other crimes. The trial ended with Formosus being found guilty, his papacy declared null, and his body thrown into the Tiber River. Such a spectacle won’t likely recur—…
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