Conclave 2025: Why the ‘Liberal vs. Conservative’ Lens Blurs the Church’s Reality, by Larry Chapp

As with every conclave to elect a new pope, this one is surrounded by all kinds of speculation.

Will the conclave that begins May 7 elect a new pope in the mold of Pope Francis, or someone more traditional in doctrine and liturgy? Or perhaps he will be what the badly uninformed mainstream media might label a “moderate” — neither conservative nor liberal, but a term overly simplified nevertheless — who seeks to reconcile the various factions within the Catholic Church.

The problem with all of these analyses is that they assume the Church is a largely “political” entity that mirrors the demographic dynamics of secular society in the West. What this means is that a term like “reform” gets tossed around in superficial ways, with secular media often treating “reform” as synonymous with “liberalization.” …

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