At 3 p.m. (local time) on the 7th, a secret vote of the College of Cardinals to elect a new pope succeeding Pope Francis, known as 'conclave,' will begin. The 133 cardinals with voting rights will enter the Sistine Chapel, where the conclave takes place, becoming completely isolated from the outside. CNN reported on the 6th that 'voters will have access to written materials and have been provided a book about their fellow cardinals ahead of the conclave,' adding, 'This book contains specific messages.'
According to CNN, a booklet titled 'Cardinal Report' includes profiles of about 40 papal candidates. The same information can be found on a website called 'Cardinal Report,' and CNN reported that printed copies have been distributed to the cardinals. The 'Cardinal Report' website is an open platform led by Catholic journalists Edward Pentin and Diane Montagna, which became a topic of discussion after introducing prominent papal candidates following Pope Francis's death.
Pentin, who led the creation of the website and booklet, noted, 'The Cardinal Report was conceived and produced to help the members of the College of Cardinals get to know each other better in preparation for the conclave and beyond,' and stated, 'We worked to ensure that as many cardinals as possible could naturally access this website and the accompanying booklet.'
Some claim that the 'Cardinal Report' provided to the cardinals contains unfair content. The booklet distributed to the cardinals summarizes each candidate's stance on contentious issues within the Catholic Church, such as same-sex couples, female diaconate ordination, and contraception. CNN explained, 'There is an underlying message calling for the selection of a pope who will lead the Church in a different direction than Pope Francis,' adding, 'His progressive reforms have provoked backlash from some conservatives.'
In particular, the 'Cardinal Report' booklet is said to portray conservative cardinals favorably. For instance, Cardinal Mario Grech from Malta, tasked with overseeing major reform processes in the Roman Catholic Church, is described as 'a controversial figure.' In contrast, the report did not hold back on praise for Cardinal Raymond Burke from the United States, a prominent critic of Pope Francis. Burke has previously asserted, 'The Church has lost its direction,' in response to Pope Francis's willingness to bless same-sex couples and forgive women who have had abortions.
The editors of this booklet are also known to be conservative. According to CNN, the 'Cardinal Report' was edited in collaboration with Sophia Institute Press, a conservative publishing house based in the United States, and Cardinalis, a magazine headquartered in Versailles, France. Sophia Institute Press publishes the anti-Francis magazine 'Crisis Magazine' and released a book titled 'Infiltration' in 2019, claiming that modernists and Marxists are attempting to undermine the Catholic Church from within.
In addition, various conservative influences are affecting the College of Cardinals attending the conclave. The Napa Institute, a conservative Catholic organization, and the 'Pope Foundation,' a group of Catholic philanthropists, have headed to Rome ahead of the conclave. An anonymous donor from the Pope Foundation stated, 'We can raise $1 billion (about 1.4 trillion won) for the pope that fits us perfectly.' The Washington Post previously reported that 'following the announcement of Pope Francis's death, moves to support conservative candidates began immediately from certain factions.'
The Cardinals may access information about papal candidates through the 'Cardinal Report' while remaining isolated from the outside and participate in the voting based on this information. The Vatican spokesperson said, 'What the Cardinals bring to the conclave is up to them.' However, there are opinions suggesting that the Cardinals will not be easily swayed by the pressures of conservatives. Retired Archbishop Oswald Gracias of Bombay noted, 'I am warning my fellow cardinals about fake news on social media (SNS).'