Francis opened discussions for those outside the hierarchy of the church. This cardinal will, too

Only about half a million people live in Malta, a small group of islands in the Mediterranean Sea that make up one of the smallest European countries.

However, the Malti citizen near the Pope can be elected.

Cardinal Mario Grish68, the former bishop of Al -Maltese Island, Jozo, appeared as a candidate for the Pope because of his role as Secretary -General of the Bishop’s Sinod, which is the body of Vatikan commissioned Al -Kansi Law To consider “questions related to church activity in the world”.

Pope Francis raised the role of the Synod through promotion Senodes on the SynodA multi -year meeting of church leaders and ordinary people, including women, on how to work together. Francis saw that this process was very important, and explained it as a “journey together”.

The role of Cardinal Grish in harassing these efforts to open the church, unlike some of its history. While the bishop of Guzo, from 2005 to 2020, had conservative positions on many issues, including homosexuality and legitimacy to divorce, which he opposed when Malta conducted a referendum in 2011.

He changed his accent during the reign of Francis, who made Cardinal in 2020, and is seen as a person who will bring continuity to the papacy.

In 2021, the Synod began with discussions between local churches around the world on the issues they felt more urgent, a rare opening of all Catholics to help draw the future of the church.

If the Cardinal becomes the Pope, these discussions will undoubtedly continue. some Critics of the processIncluding traditional people who defend the mass hierarchy, fear that it will reduce the authority of the Pope and bishops. Others have wondered about the extent of the synod actually represented by Catholics, with Only a small percentage of about 1.4 billion around the world after participating in the meetings.

But supporters of the Synod say it is the only way the church can remain relevant.

Helna Helena Gibson Soboller, who works at the Swiss Catholic Relief Agency, said the future of the Synod and its implementation was “decisive to the Catholic Church”, which must become “more participatory and comprehensive.

She said that failure at a real change could be a killer of the church, at least in Central Europe. “If there are no changes, that will be really difficult, and I think that the Cardinate is aware of it,” she said.

As the Secretary -General of the Senods, the Cardinal Grish appeared as a major figure in that process. There are 133 Cardinal who can vote in the Synod, and although these Cardinals do not agree on many church issues, they may find consensus in the unanimity of Cardinal leadership skills and its support for the most participatory church when it comes to its rule.

About 60 of these Cardinals were present in at least one of the Senod discussions for a month in 2023 and 2024, which means that in the college where many Cardinals do not know each other because they are geographically far away, he made his role in the Synod a familiar face to many.

Cardinal Grish also took global reasons that were close to Francis. Malta is a major entry point in the Mediterranean Sea of ​​Immigrants who arrive in Africa, and Cardinal called the brush of Europe to open its doors, not to close them. When the war broke out in Ukraine in 2022, it is The warnings that escape from Ukrainian raised Women and children were at risk of exploitation by human travelers.

Like the leaders of other great church over the past twenty years, Cardinal Grish has been accused by some of not doing enough to calculate the sexual assault that occurred in its diocese. It is one of the Cardinos that were distinguished on the Conclave Watch site, which examines how some Cardinals dealt with abuse cases.

Bishop has started several initiatives to face ill -treatment, including a Committee to protect children And vulnerable adults. But his critics say he could have done more in specific cases.

Some allegations at the Malta Center at the Lurdis house, an orphanage house run by Dominican sisters in Malta on Jozo. The church was assigned to investigate the orphanage, which was closed in 2008 and apologized that year. Pope Benedict XVI Meet With some survivors in 2010.

Lara Demetrevich, a lawyer who represents survivors in a constitutional case against the state that was currently listening to the Maltese Court, said that the church should have done more to the victims, including the provision of psychological advice.

She said: “There was a severe shock that these mothers in the fifties are still suffering today,” she continued to be ill as “evil.”

Carmen Muscat, 52 of her customer, said that she was not satisfied with the role that Cardinal Grish played, and wanted to compensate. She said: “We did not achieve justice and this is not fair.” Cardinal Grish did not immediately respond to the comment.

Matthew Makk Beige The reports contributed.