The Silent Battle Before the Vote: Conservative Strategy to Shape the Future of the Church
As the world watches Rome in anticipation, an extraordinary behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign is unfolding on the eve of the papal conclave. While the College of Cardinals prepares to choose the successor to Pope Francis, a quiet but calculated conservative counteroffensive is making its way into the halls of Vatican City.
At the heart of this effort is a newly published dossier titled The College of Cardinals Report—a hefty compilation profiling 40 potential papal candidates. The report, put together by British Vatican journalist Edward Pentin and American Catholic commentator Diane Montagna, provides an ideological breakdown of where each candidate stands on the Church’s most pressing and divisive issues: same-sex blessings, female deacons, contraception, and adherence to doctrinal orthodoxy.
A Conclave Like No Other
Tomorrow, 133 cardinal electors will enter the Sistine Chapel and be sealed off from the outside world in the centuries-old ritual known as the conclave. As tradition dictates, the Vatican will shut down phone signals and any form of digital communication to preserve the sanctity—and secrecy—of the process.
Despite this, the rules do allow written materials to be brought in, and conservatives have seized the moment. The report is being handed out to cardinals during their pre-conclave meetings, where many wear name tags—an indication of how unfamiliar they remain with one another despite the weight of the decision they face.
According to its authors, the intention is to give electors “a deeper understanding of one another,” especially in a conclave filled with many first-time voters appointed during Francis’ progressive decade-long papacy. But the subtext is clear: elect someone who will steer the Church back to traditional moorings.
International Pressure and Political Meddling
This conclave is not merely a religious event—it is also becoming a geopolitical chessboard. Reports emerged that French President Emmanuel Macron attempted to lobby against African conservative Cardinal Robert Sarah, signaling that world leaders are closely watching—and perhaps quietly maneuvering—the outcome.
It’s the biggest lobbying effort on Earth, and the stakes are eternal.
Ideological Divide
CNN, while acknowledging the report’s existence, quickly condemned it as a partisan weapon meant to push an “anti-Francis” agenda. In their critique, they point out how the report praises American Cardinal Raymond Burke—an outspoken critic of Francis—while painting liberal figures like Cardinal Mario Grech as “controversial.”
But to the conservative creators and supporters of the report, that bias isn’t just intentional—it’s essential. After a decade of what they see as doctrinal erosion under Pope Francis, they view this conclave as a rare opportunity to reset the Church’s trajectory.
The Future of the Papacy at a Crossroads
As the doors of the Sistine Chapel close, cardinals will carry in more than their conscience—they’ll carry strategic arguments, printed profiles, and the weight of a deeply divided global Church.
Whether The Good Book circulating among them will tilt the outcome remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the next pope will inherit not only the keys to the kingdom but a battle for the soul of the Catholic Church.