MSN – A prominent cardinal called for the Roman Catholic Church to return to conservative traditions as candidates began to jockey for position before the election that will choose Pope Francis’s successor.
Timothy Dolan, an outspoken conservative American, says the next pontiff should embody “more clarity in teaching” and “more refinement of the Church’s tradition”.
Critics of Francis have accused him of sowing confusion and doubt on key issues such as attitudes to gay people and civil unions, the principle of priestly celibacy and the role of women in the Church.
The conclave – the secretive election of the next pope which is held in the Sistine Chapel in the heart of the Vatican – will broadly come down to a battle between progressives who want to continue Francis’s legacy and conservativeswho are appalled by what he did during his 12-year pontificate.
The word comes from the Latin “cum clave”, meaning literally “with a key”, and refers to cardinals being sequestered inside the chapel and sworn to an oath of secrecy as they embark on rounds of voting which will eventually elect a new pope.
