Editor’s Note With the papal conclave set to begin on May 7, 2025, after the death of Pope Francis, and the Camerlengo’s interim administration of the Vatican nearing its close, the Church—and the world—awaits the emergence of a new pope.…
I. Introduction: The Stillness Before Strategy The Vatican tonight is cloaked in a stillness that feels reverent — but under the surface, it is pure strategy. As the funeral of Pope Francis approaches, the Church enters not just a period…
Introduction: The Vatican at the Edge of a Knife The death of Pope Francis is more than a passing of a religious leader. It’s the ignition point of a geopolitical, cultural, and theological event horizon — the kind of slow-moving…
