And he then got elected on the fourth vote: Francis' final surprise for the church.

"Piqué and O’Connell claim that it was ultimately Francis’ shaping of the College of Cardinals that led to Leo’s election. 'Francis could not choose his successor, but he created the conditions that made Leo’s election possible,' the authors wrote. 'It was his last surprise.'”

Money may buy a lot, but it cannot buy everything.

#PopeLeo #Trump #PopeFrancis #CardinalDolan #FinancialElites
/6

"An unnamed source 'in contact with the cardinals' told Piqué that 'Trump dressed as pope wasn’t a joke' but a message: 'I’m watching you and I want a domesticated Catholic Church.'"

But then the big surprise: despite all that money and organizing on the hard right, Erdő got solid votes in the first round of voting, and then began losing votes as Prevost (Leo XIV) picked up more votes.

#PopeLeo #Trump #PopeFrancis #CardinalDolan #FinancialElites
/5

Sordid characters like US Catholic journalists Edward Pentin and Diane Montagna circulated a book trying to sway cardinal electors by telling them how various cardinals stood on issues like welcoming LGBTQ people and women's ordination.

Dolan and Trump were/are joined at the hip, and Trump "publicly backed Dolan for pope and later posted an AI-generated picture of himself dressed as pope."

#PopeLeo #Trump #PopeFrancis #CardinalDolan #FinancialElites
/4

This papal election was seen by them as a big opportunity to flash that money around and do away with Francis' legacy — locking in again the right-wing control they had enjoyed during the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict.

#PopeLeo #Trump #PopeFrancis #CardinalDolan #FinancialElites
/3

And that move had big money behind it, especially right-wing American Catholic money. Former head of the US Catholic bishops' conference Timothy Dolan, who is very close to that right-wing Catholic money was helping push right-wing Hungarian cardinal Péter Erdő forward.

Big-money US Catholics and the many, many bishops who are in their pocket have done all they can for years now to buy the Vatican and the papacy.

#PopeLeo #Trump #PopeFrancis #CardinalDolan #FinancialElites
/2

"With the retirement of Cardinal Timothy Dolan as archbishop of New York, the Roman Catholic Church is losing one of its most anti-LGBTQ+ American leaders.

Here’s a look at Dolan’s worst moments as leader of the second-largest archdiocese in the U.S. and what to expect from his successor."

~ Trudy Ring

#PopeLeo #Trump #immigrants #WhiteChristianNationalism #CardinalDolan
/7

https://www.advocate.com/news/homophobe-timothy-dolan-record-successor

"Trump, likewise, is such a fan of Dolan that he appeared to suggest the cardinal could be the next pope following the death of Pope Francis in April, though he also floated himself as a candidate to head the Catholic Church."

#PopeLeo #Trump #immigrants #WhiteChristianNationalism #CardinalDolan
/6

"Dolan has earned a reputation as an eager Trump supporter, with regular appearances on the pro-Trump Fox News and prayer appearances at both of the president’s inaugurations. He appeared alongside Trump at a Catholic Charities fundraiser last year, and referred to slain MAGA commentator Charlie Kirk as 'a modern-day Saint Paul' in the wake of his September killing."

#PopeLeo #Trump #immigrants #WhiteChristianNationalism #CardinalDolan
/5

"Pope Leo is replacing pro–Trump Cardinal Timothy Dolan as New York’s archbishop in a major shake-up of the Catholic Church in the U.S.

The first-ever American pope has accepted the resignation of Dolan, a prominent figure known for engaging in culture wars, and has appointed the relatively unknown Illinois-based Bishop Ronald Hicks in his place."

~ Ewan Palmer

#PopeLeo #Trump #immigrants #WhiteChristianNationalism #CardinalDolan
/4

https://www.thedailybeast.com/pope-leo-pushes-out-donald-trumps-favorite-bishop-cardinal-timothy-dolan/