Why American Pope?
Title: Why the next pope should be an American
Author: Anne Barrett-Doyle
Publisher: National Catholic Reporter (NCROnline)
Date: 05MAY2025
If we are going to have a prayer of curbing sexual abuse crimes and cover-up in the Catholic Church, the next pope should be an American.
This might sound not just provincial but preposterous. Conventional wisdom holds that a U.S. cardinal will never be elected pope. That likely is truer than ever now, given the upcoming conclave’s large number of cardinal electors from the Global South.
And even if it were possible, who among the U.S. cardinals would be worthy? None of them stands out as a remarkable protector of children or healer of victims. Cover-up still happens here.
But here’s the stunning reality: Thanks largely to the United States’ unique civil justice system and robust free press, bishops here have been forced to adopt more prudent policies on abuse than bishops in any other country have.
U.S. bishops have become accustomed to two practices in particular that the next pope must make universal in order to protect children.
First, zero tolerance.
The U.S. Catholic Church has the strongest policies requiring the permanent removal of priests proven guilty of child sex abuse. Incredibly, universal Catholic Church law still lets bishops reinstate proven and admitted child molesters to parish posts and other ministries.
Let that fact sink in. A staggering number of children worldwide, easily tens of millions, attend Catholic parishes, schools, camps and day care centers or reside in Catholic orphanages. And yet under universal church law, it is still okay under certain conditions for child molesters to resume or stay in priestly ministry.
For full article visit:
https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/why-next-pope-should-be-american