(Adnkronos) – After the death of Pope Francis, a part of the Catholic electorate close to Donald Trump – the so-called Maga Catholics – looks to the next conclave with the hope of a decisive change of course. The objective is clear: to elect a pontiff closer to traditional doctrine and distant from the reformist openings of the Argentine pope. According to the Financial Times, these groups hope for the end of a pontificate considered too progressive and in breach with Christian values.
Jesse Romero, a Catholic podcaster from Phoenix, has called for “a Trump-style pope” capable of “restoring traditional Christian values”, criticizing Francis’ line on abortion, Marxism and homosexuality. Even harsher was Roger Stone, Trump’s longtime advisor, who called the posthumous praise of the pontiff “nauseating” and questioned his legitimacy.
Discontent with Francis among US conservatives has deep roots. The blessings of homosexual couples, the commitment to the climate, the welcoming of migrants and the questioning of Latin in the liturgy have fueled a now structured opposition. “There is a symbiotic relationship between the Maga agenda and post-liberal Catholics: they feed off each other,” explained David Deane of the Atlantic School of Theology. This trend is reinforced by a generational change within the American clergy: according to research by the Catholic Project, over 80% of priests ordained since 2020 define themselves as conservative. Universities such as Franciscan University of Steubenville and Ave Maria University have trained a new ecclesiastical elite with a traditionalist orientation.
Despite the criticism, Francis responded firmly. He removed Texas Bishop Joseph Strickland and revoked the Vatican salary and housing of Cardinal Raymond Burke, author of the “dubia” on Amoris Laetitia. In a letter to the American bishops, he also condemned the deportations carried out by the Trump administration, calling them detrimental to human dignity.
The future of the pontificate will now be in the hands of the conclave: six of the ten US cardinal electors were appointed by Francis and largely share his pastoral vision. “It is more likely that the next pope will be a Francis II,” admitted John Yep, leader of the Catholics for Catholics group. But Maga Catholics continue to hope for a pontiff who “can heal the fractures within the Church and eradicate some of the modernist trends that have crept in.”
