Cardinal Zuppi would be a Francis II but one who has celebrated the Latin Mass

 

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More recently he celebrated Latin Vespers

Possible "Francis II"

Meet the Papal candidates: Matteo Maria Zuppi

He represents a continuation of the previous pontificate in almost all aspects, albeit with a more conciliatory tone. His ecclesial stance is marked by his membership in the Community of Sant'Egidio, a movement focused on assisting the poor and international political mediation efforts.

Among the papal candidates, he is the only Roman by birth, a circumstance that, in other times, would have given him a considerable advantage in the conclave. Although his large family was traditionally religious, Zuppi's upbringing took a different course, largely due to the profound influence of his membership in the Community of Sant'Egidio. In his own words, the education he had received seemed "outdated and moralistic" until "fortunately," he found Sant'Egidio and discovered in this group "another Gospel and another Church, the Church of my friends and not that of priests, the Church of spontaneous prayer instead of the rosary. All these things were much more attractive than a faith, also very deep, like that of my parents, something I only understood later."

His ecclesiastical career was marked from the beginning by his belonging to influential circles in the Church. His father, a journalist, worked at L'Osservatore Romano, and his mother was the niece of the well-known Cardinal Confalonieri. Zuppi was a parish vicar under Vincenzo Paglia and participated in the good offices of Sant'Egidio that contributed to the Monaco peace agreement. When Paglia was appointed bishop, Zuppi replaced him as parish priest and, six years later, was appointed Chaplain to His Holiness by Benedict XVI. Six years later, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Rome, also by Benedict XVI, and three years later, archbishop of Bologna by Pope Francis. There, he succeeded Cardinal Carlo Caffarra (one of the dubia cardinals), following the custom of the last pontificate of replacing the most orthodox and traditional bishops with others of a markedly progressive character. In 2019, Pope Francis appointed him cardinal, despite his preference for not appointing cardinals to occupants of important sees (as was the case, for example, with Archbishop Moraglia of Venice or Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles, neither of whom can be considered progressive). In 2022, Cardinal Zuppi became President of the Italian Bishops' Conference.

Among the leading candidates, he would be the one who could most appropriately be considered a "Francis II" and, in all likelihood, would have a pontificate along similar lines to the previous one. In general, Cardinal Zuppi's concerns are those usually associated with the most progressive ecclesial circles. First and foremost, mercy, which, according to him, "represents the attitude of the post-conciliar Church" (perhaps forgetting that there was probably no spirituality more characteristic of the Church from the 17th to the early 20th centuries than that of the Sacred Heart, that is, the mercy of God par excellence). In line with the Sant'Egidio Community, the cardinal prefers to speak about solidarity, interreligious dialogue, fraternity, emigrants, social justice, equality, and pluralism, and, like so many others, he gladly jumped on the synodality bandwagon. He also publicly held an interreligious prayer meeting with the President of the Islamic Center of Bologna and has encouraged other interreligious events. In politics, his friendships lean markedly to the left, and, following the example of Pope Francis, he has publicly praised several progressive (and pro-abortion) politicians. He is also a friend of the founder of the Grand Democratic Orient, a Masonic organization, and celebrated his marriage.

As President of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Episcopal Conference, he led the formulation of episcopal guidelines for applying Amoris laetitia, reiterating that divorced persons in a new union did not need to remain chaste, since sometimes "the absence of conjugal acts" could endanger the new union and the good of the children (without explaining, of course, how "conjugal" acts could exist between two people who, before God, were not married, nor why such a new union, contrary to God's law, was a good to be protected).

His views on euthanasia, contraception, abortion, and other moral issues are ambiguous, to say the least. Perhaps the most troubling point is his closeness to "LGBTQ causes." In this regard, he has primarily championed inclusivity and wrote the foreword to a famous book by Fr. James Martin, SJ, known for his defense of the goodness of same-sex relationships. He also ardently defended the Fiducia Supplicans document, which authorized blessings for same-sex couples. In fact, it can be said that he anticipated it, having allowed one of these public blessings more than a year earlier in a church in his diocese.

The Community of Sant'Egidio is dedicated to caring for those in need and mediating international conflicts. As befits a good member of that community, Cardinal Zuppi appears to have had a significant role in the continuation of secret agreements between China and the Vatican (as early as 2012, Cardinal Zen accused Sant'Egidio of bowing to China's communism). He was also Pope Francis' special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, and in 2017, he traveled by private jet to Bayonne, this time without Vatican approval, to be present at the arms surrender of the terrorist group ETA, a gesture that Bishop Munilla described as an "attempt to exploit the Church."

Like the movement to which he belongs, he is a staunch opponent of the death penalty. Another major influence of Sant'Egidio can be seen in his desire for lay people to always participate in Church activities. Indeed, the Community of Sant'Egidio taught him to live his "ministry in union with his lay brothers and sisters" and in a way that was not "too clerical," recalling that Pope Francis had said that clericalism was "a disease."

Perhaps because he has a different character than the last Pontiff or to differentiate himself from him, Cardinal Zuppi has tried to be conciliatory even with those who do not share his ideas, including the most traditional clergy and faithful, and has even celebrated the ancient liturgy on occasion. Likewise, both friends and enemies recognize his intelligence, his ability to deal with all kinds of people, and his ability to swim and keep his clothes on. This leads many to believe that, for better or worse, the hypothetical Francis II would be far more effective in his measures and changes than his predecessor, whose decisions were often impulsive, erratic, and therefore short-lived.

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Cathcon: The Cardinal worked for many years in the Trastevere, the poorest part of Rome; his concern for the poor is not performative but real.  However, click of St Egidio to see what this community is about.