MAGA media stars tout papal favorites
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Top MAGA media voices fixated on the Vatican and the possibility of a conservative pope are hoping the conclave will help boost a global traditionalist Christian movement.
Why it matters: The papal succession — happening far beyond America's shores — touches the heart of the MAGA movement's push to block what it views as the destruction of "Western civilization."
The big picture: MAGA has gently criticized Pope Francis since his death last month, knocking his liberal social policies such as allowing blessings for gay couples and a focus on migrants. (Francis still did not endorse same-sex marriage and maintained other traditional stances, including opposition to abortion.)
- Now, MAGA sees a chance for a new pope in a more traditionalist vein.
- "What we're all praying for, because we've seen, at least in Europe and the United States, this resurgence of the traditional Christians. People are tired of the mamby, pamby, light, shallow, substance-less Christian faith," Jack Posobiec, one of the most prominent Catholic MAGA voices, said Wednesday on "War Room."
Zoom in: Conservatives have repeated a small handful of names they'd prefer to be the new pope, though the guarded process is incredibly difficult to predict or influence.
- Raymond Burke: The American cardinal is a prominent voice in the church's conservative wing. He has clashed with Francis, saying in 2014 the church was like a "ship without a rudder." He was believed to be frustrated with Francis' stances on homosexuality and divorce.
- Péter Erdő: The Hungarian cardinal is an expert on the church's esoteric legal intricacies. He won over conservatives when he closed church doors in Hungary to migrants a decade ago, warning "we would become human smugglers if we took in refugees." He later reversed himself after meeting with Francis.
- Gerhard Müller: The German has taken strong stances in support of conservative social issues. He recently said he wants the next pope to be "strong on doctrine" and stand up to the "gay lobby."
- Pierbattista Pizzaballa: An Italian cardinal who is the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pizzaballa has earned publicity for offering himself in exchange for some of the hostages taken by Hamas in its Oct. 7 terrorist attack. He has voiced support for traditional aspects of the church, but he's viewed as a wild card after having spent decades in the Middle East away from the church's power center in Rome.
- Robert Sarah: A Guinean cardinal, Sarah is one of the first names offered by many traditionalists. He is the former head of the Vatican's liturgy office and was a vocal Francis antagonist, decrying the introduction of "ruptures and revolutions." He is also an advocate for the Latin Mass, a practice fiercely defended by traditionalists.
Zoom out: MAGA views itself as warriors for a more traditional America — but also for the protection of "Western civilization," which in the movement's definition is centered in Judeo-Christian tradition and ancient societies such as Greece and Rome.
- "All of us will be articulating our views quite vociferously, I expect," Michael Knowles, a Catholic and conservative podcaster, told Axios after Francis' death when asked about the insular succession process. "But that said, I don't know that it will have much effect."
