Will Pope Francis' radical legacy stay?

One of Pope Francis’ enduring legacies was that he greatly expanded the diversity of cardinals who will elect his successor, naming “princes of the church” from faraway countries that had never had one before.

- 

That legacy is now throw-ing a wrench in traditional sport of speculating about the next pope, since these far-flung cardinals don’t know one another well and haven't coalesced into clear voting blocs going into the conclave, the centuries-old ritual to elect a new pope.

‘As a result, all that is certain about ‘the upcoming conclave is that there is no certainty.

‘As the Oscar-nominated film “Conclave” made clear, the election of a pope is a Hollywood-worthy drama steeped in mystery, secrecy and faith. But real-world politics and personal calcu-lations come into play and will weigh on the 130-plus cardinals when they enter the Sistine Chapel to cast their ballots.

No date has yet been set for the conclave, but it must start by 10 May. After Francis’ funeral Saturday, the cardinals who have flocked to Rome will meet regularly this week, sizing one another up as they dis-cuss the needs of the 1.4 bil-lion-strong Catholic Church following Francis’ revolutionary papacy:

Francis’ 12-year pontificate was characterised by a focus away from doctrinaire rules to making the church more inclusive and welcom-ing.