Feb 25 2025 44 mins 1
Amid armed conflicts, a climate emergency and the disruptions of the digital age, now comes another layer of uncertainty to worry about. Since Monday, nightly rosary prayers have been taking place in Saint Peter's Square as pilgrims pray for an 88-year old pope who's in hospital for the fourth time. We ask about Francis's health and what change at the top would mean inside the world's largest religious institution, one that doubles as a state recognised by 177 nations.
The first Argentinian pope has championed the rights of migrants and minorities, most recently even publicly clashing with a new US vice president who's a convert to Catholicism. Will Francis's successor be a reformer or a conservative?
More broadly, can 1.7 billion faithful find common ground in an age where bitter culture wars go beyond any one religion? How does the Catholic Church evolve? What lies ahead?
Produced by Rebecca Grignati, Ilayda Habib, Elisa Amiri and Aurore Laborie.
