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Cardinals at a crossroads: Rival camps emerge in battle over new pope

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CNN
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The pontificate of Pope Francis profoundly shook up the Catholic Church.

His restless 12-year-papacy, with its focus on a “poor church for the poor,” called on Catholicism to leave its comfort zone and pitch its tent among the poorest communities. Francis opened discussions on topics that were once viewed off limits, such as the role of women. He welcomed LGBTQ Catholics as “children of God” and opened the door for remarried divorcees to receive communion. He also generated attention with his strong critiques of economic injustice and calls to protect the environment.

Throughout his papacy, however, Francis faced fierce resistance from small, but noisy, conservative Catholic groups and a certain amount of indifference and silent resistance from bishops in the hierarchy.

Now, as 133 voting members of the College of Cardinals prepare for the conclave, the closed-doors process to elect Francis’ successor, they face a weighty choice: Build on the late pope’s reforms and vision, or slow things down and embark on a course correction.

CNN spoke to multiple cardinals and other church sources for this article. While some cardinals would prefer a safer option who focuses on unity, one who worked closely with Francis said such a choice would be the “kiss of death” for the church.

Those who will process into the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to begin the process to elect a new pope could not have failed to notice the outpouring of affection for Francis after he died.

When Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, talked warmly about Francis’ vision for the church as he delivered the homily at Francis’ funeral, the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square repeatedly applauded. And in East Timor, which Francis visited in 2024, around 300,000 people attended a Mass for the late pope on the same day as the funeral. All of this has led one retired cardinal to urge his confrères to take note.

Faithful attend Pope Francis' funeral ceremony at St Peter's Square in the Vatican on April 26, 2025.

“The people of God have already voted at the funerals and called for continuity with Francis,” Cardinal Walter Kasper, 92, a theological adviser to the late pope, told La Repubblica, an Italian daily newspaper.

In other words – read the room.

Francis’ supporters say that only a pope willing to continue what the late pontiff started will do so. But the politics of a papal election process are subtle. Anyone overtly campaigning to be pope immediately disqualifies themselves and the cardinals must vote according to what they discern to be the will of God. Still, that doesn’t mean simply sitting in their rooms and praying for divine inspiration on how to vote.

Each morning during the pre-conclave period the cardinals meet in the Paul VI synod hall for “general congregations.” Then, in the evenings, they often continue the discussions over a plate of pasta and a glass of wine, with several seen eating in trattorias in the Borgo Pio, a village-like quarter near the Vatican.

A fault line is already emerging. Some cardinals want the next pope to follow firmly in Francis’ footsteps and focus on the “diversity” of the universal church, whose axis has shifted away from Europe and the West. Others are calling on the next pope to emphasize “unity” – code for a more predictable, steady-as-she-goes approach.

Austen Ivereigh, a papal biographer and Catholic commentator, puts the two positions this way.

“The first (diversity) sees Francis as the first pope of a new era in the Church, showing us how to evangelize today, and how to hold together our differences in a fruitful way,” he explained.

“The second (unity) sees the Francis era as a disruption, an interruption, that now needs to be reined back by a return to a greater uniformity.”

Those pushing the “unity” line include some of the most vociferous critics of the late pope, such as Cardinal Gerhard Müller, the Vatican’s former doctrine chief who Francis replaced in 2017. Characterizing the last pontificate as a divisive authoritarian, he recently told the New York Times: “All dictators are dividing.”

Most cardinals will not share Müller’s characterization, and cardinals have repeatedly expressed appreciation for Francis’ concern for those at the margins and his ability to connect with people.

But a number of them are rallying around the “unity” slogan and have plenty of criticisms of the last papacy, including his decision to embark on a major, multi-year reform process – the synod – that has opened questions about women’s leadership and how power is exercised in the church.

Some also didn’t like Francis’ full-throated critiques of priests who like to wear elaborate vestments or his offering of blessings to same-sex couples, which has been rejected by some bishops in Africa. The feeling among the “unity” group, which has the support of some retired cardinals, is that the next pope needs less of the disruptive style of Francis.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols arrives for a general congregation meeting in the Vatican, as seen from Rome, Italy, April 28, 2025.

“His (the pope’s) first duty is to preserve and deepen the unity of the church,” Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, in London, told CNN. Nichols praised Francis’ pastoral gestures, although added: “There probably is a balancing up to do, but that is not primarily to do with arguments or teaching or doctrine.”

The leading “unity” candidate, it would appear, is Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See Secretary of State. He would not represent an obvious break with Francis, but his style would be very different. Parolin is a mild-mannered, thoughtful Italian prelate who oversees the Vatican’s diplomacy, which has included a provisional agreement with China over the appointment of bishops.

But Parolin’s sceptics point to his lack of experience working at the church’s grassroots and his flat delivery of a homily at a Mass for around 200,000 young people in St Peter’s Square, the day after Francis’ funeral. As he read from his notes, the cardinal seemed unable to engage the congregation, in stark contrast to Francis, who frequently spoke off-the-cuff and would often engage in a back and forth with young people.

Parolin has support among the large network of Holy See diplomats, of which he is a member. CNN’s Vatican analyst Elisabetta Pique, who is also a correspondent for La Nacion in Argentina, says that retired Italian cardinal and former diplomat, Beniamino Stella, 83, is considered a strong supporter of Parolin. He is reported to have “stunned” cardinals on April 30 with an attack on the late pope’s moves to give lay people governance roles in the church, saying Francis was wrong to separate ordination as a priest or bishop from the power of church governance. (Francis had appointed the first women to lead Vatican offices and sought to open more lay leadership roles.) Stella’s attack was surprising because he had been a trusted collaborator of Francis.

Others see the unity argument as superficially attractive but having the wrong focus. One of those is Cardinal Michael Czerny, who worked closely with Pope Francis, and has led the Vatican office for human development. He said that unity – while essential – cannot be a program or a policy.

“The terrible danger is, if you make this your obsession, and if you try to promote unity as your primary objective, you end up with uniformity,” he said. “And this is exactly what we don’t need. We spent decades now trying to learn to get beyond uniformity to a true catholicity, a true pluralism.”

Czerny added: “It’s interesting the words (unity and uniformity) are so close, but the difference is huge. I think one is the kiss of death, and the other is life and abundant life.”

Cardinal Michael Czerny leads a mass for the Jubilee of the World of Volunteering at St Peter's Square in The Vatican on March 09, 2025 in Vatican City.

Each night during the nine official days of mourning that follow the death of a pope, a cardinal presides at a Mass and has an opportunity to reflect on Francis’ pontificate. It’s harder for cardinals to be openly critical of the late pontiff while others among them are asking in these Masses how the cardinals can build on what Francis started.

“I think of the multiple reform processes of Church life initiated by Pope Francis, which extend beyond religious affiliations,” Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar of Rome, said in a homily this week.

“People recognized him as a universal pastor. These people carry concern in their hearts, and I seem to discern in them a question: What will become of the processes that have begun?”

That need to continue the reforms begun by Francis could favor a candidate such as Cardinal Mario Grech, who leads the synod office, and which has showcased the diversity of the church. The reform-minded German cardinal Reinhard Marx has been among those arguing for a pope who continues in the line of Francis, as has Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, who played a leading role in the synod.

A “diversity” candidate could come from Asia or be closely connected to the church’s frontline missions. In this vein, there is some talk of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, but he is not the only possibility.

The group of cardinals choosing Francis’ successor is a diverse body drawn from virtually every corner of the globe; during his pontificate Francis dramatically re-shaped the body of cardinals, making appointments to countries that had never had a cardinal before.

But it means that many of them don’t know each other well, and during the discussions in the Paul VI synod hall, the cardinals have been wearing name badges. The intense media interest also seems to have startled cardinals unused to being swarmed by groups of reporters and cameras when they enter or leave the Vatican.

It is much harder to predict how such a diverse body is going to vote. However, it seems the cardinals from the “peripheries,” who represent the shift in the Catholic Church’s axis away from Europe, largely share the late pontiff’s vision and are primarily focused on how the next pope responds to the crises facing the globe.

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo at St Mary's Cathedral in Yangon, Myanmar on April 22, 2025.

Charles Bo, the first cardinal from Myanmar, who was appointed by Francis in 2015 and wants to see continuity with Francis’ reforms, told CNN in an email the next pope must “pursue peace without pause” and be a voice of moral authority which “calls humanity back from the edge of destruction.”

“Religions must unite in a common cause to save humanity,” he said. “The world urgently needs a new breath of hope – a synodal journey that chooses life over death, hope over despair. The next pope must be that breath!”

The cardinals entering the Sistine Chapel next week for conclave are not just casting their vote for a new pope, but making a critical decision that will impact the church for years to come.



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Patriot missiles: What are they and why does Ukraine need them so badly?

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CNN
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US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Ukraine will receive Patriot missile systems as part of a new package of US weaponry has been warmly welcomed in Kyiv as it reels under nightly Russian bombardments.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has made repeated requests for Patriots in recent weeks as Moscow sends record numbers of drones and missiles to cause havoc and fear in Ukrainian cities and towns.

But there were few specifics in Trump’s announcement, and major questions remain over how many Ukraine will receive, when they will arrive, and who will provide them.

Here’s what we know about the vaunted US missile defense system:

The Patriots, short for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, are the US Army’s key missile defense system.

They most recently proved their worth last month, when they helped shoot down 13 out of 14 incoming Iranian missiles that were launched at the US Air Force’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

The latest versions of Patriot interceptors are capable of engaging incoming short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones at altitudes up to 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) and distances of up to 35 kilometers.

Analysts say that gives a single Patriot battery the ability to cover 100 to 200 square kilometers of area, depending on how many launchers are in the battery, local terrain and other conditions. That’s not a large area in a country the size of Ukraine, at more than 603,000 kilometers in total area.

Hence, Kyiv’s need for multiple new Patriot batteries.

US soldiers walk next to a Patriot missile defense battery during joint exercises at the military grounds in Sochaczew, Poland on March 21, 2015.

A battery consists of six to eight missile launchers, each capable of carrying up to 16 interceptors, along with a phased-array radar, a control station, a power generation station – all mounted on trucks and trailers.

About 90 people are assigned to a Patriot battery, but only three soldiers in the command and control center can operate it in a combat situation, according to US military reports.

A Patriot battery is expensive, with the complete setup of launchers, radars and interceptor missiles costing more than a billion dollars, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

A single interceptor costs up to $4 million, making their use against cheap Russian drones that can cost as little as $50,000 problematic, according to a CSIS report – especially when Russia is sending hundreds of drones a night in recent attacks on Ukraine.

In regards to the latest transfer, US officials said Patriots could get to Ukraine quicker if they were moved from European NATO allies to Ukraine, with those then being replaced by systems bought from the US.

Trump said some or all of 17 Patriot batteries ordered by other countries could get to Ukraine “very quickly,” according to a Reuters report.

According to the “Military Balance 2025” from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, six NATO allies – Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain – have Patriot batteries in their arsenals.

<p>A prominent Russian politician said Monday the mood in Russia is “not affected” after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his plan for ending the bloodshed in Ukraine.</p>

Russian lawmaker: Mood in Russia “not affected” by Trump’s 50-day deadline

02:00

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that several nations – including Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway – could be potential suppliers of the new equipment, but did not specifically mention the Patriots as coming from those countries.

There has been concern inside and outside the military that US Patriot inventories may be stretched too thin.

“It is our most stressed force element,” Gen. James Mingus, vice chief of staff of the Army, told a dialogue at the CSIS earlier this month.

He noted the Patriot unit in Qatar that helped defend the Al Udeid air base had been deployed to the Middle East for 500 days, Mingus said, a “very stressed force element.”

Ukraine has said it needs 10 new Patriot batteries to protect itself against Russia’s increased onslaught of missiles and drones.

Kyiv has already received six fully operational Patriot batteries – two from the US, two from Germany, one from Romania and one jointly given by Germany and the Netherlands, according to the UK-based arms monitoring group Action on Armed Violence.

Analysts say Patriots alone can’t end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Wesley Clark, a retired US Army general and former NATO supreme commander, told CNN’s Lynda Kinkade on Monday that the for the arms package to have real effect on the battlefield, it would have to include more than air defense systems.

“If you want to really stop this, you’ve got to strike Russia and you’ve got to strike deep,” Clark said. “you have to shoot the archer and not the arrows coming in.”

CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report



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Sycamore gap tree fellers sentenced to more than four years each in prison

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CNN
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Two men have been sentenced to four years and three months each in prison for felling a landmark sycamore tree in northern England.

Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were both found guilty of two counts of criminal damage in May, one relating to the tree itself and the other to Hadrian’s Wall that it fell on, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency.

The pair were sentenced in Newcastle Crown Court in northeast England on Tuesday.

The tree had stood sentinel on the Roman-built Hadrian’s Wall for more than 200 years before being “deliberately felled” in September 2023, in what authorities at the time called an “act of vandalism.”

Handing down the sentence, the judge said the pair acted with “sheer bravado” and “revelled in the media coverage” their criminal act engendered.

Prosecuting lawyer Richard Wright KC told jurors during the trial that Graham and Carruthers, who had travelled more than 40 minutes from their homes in Cumbria, had engaged in a “moronic mission” to cut down the landmark, PA reported.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Christopher Atkinson of the Crown Prosecution Service, said in a statement that both men had cynically lied about the part they played and blamed each other for “the mindless destruction of this historic landmark.”

The felling of the tree sparked an outpouring of public grief and made global headlines in September 2023.

“An overwhelming sense of loss and confusion was felt across the world,” Andrew Poad, a manager at the National Trust, said in a victim impact statement read out in court, according to PA media.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth echoed these sentiments in a statement, saying: “The unfathomable felling of the Sycamore Gap Tree generated outrage and upset among many people who had taken Northumberland’s iconic tree to heart.”

“Today those who sought to destroy nature’s poignant symbol of Northumberland have been held accountable,” she added.

The tree was cut down in September 2023.

The beloved sycamore tree, located in the Northumberland National Park, was made famous to millions around the world when it appeared in Kevin Costner’s 1991 blockbuster movie “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.”

The tree – at a spot known as “Sycamore Gap” – was located on the UNESCO World Heritage listed Hadrian’s Wall, which was constructed around 1,900 years ago to guard the furthest northwestern frontier of the Roman Empire.

Sycamore Gap was considered one of the most photographed trees in England and was voted as English Tree of the Year in 2016.

Responding to the sentencing, a National Trust spokesperson said: “As the investigation into the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree concludes, we are deeply grateful for the thousands of messages of support received from around the world over the past 18 months.

“The enduring sense of loss reflects the powerful bond between people and our natural heritage,” the spokesperson added.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Jack Guy and Issy Ronald contributed reporting.



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Trump hasn’t ruled out funneling longer-range missiles to Ukraine

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CNN
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As President Donald Trump hardens his position toward Moscow and seeks new ways to bring the conflict to an end, he is leaving open the prospect of allowing shipments of longer-range missiles to the country that would allow it to strike deeper into Russia, according to officials familiar with the matter.

In conversations with European allies over the past several weeks, Trump has not ruled out allowing certain offensive weapons into Ukraine, including products Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously requested from the United States but not yet received, the officials said.

Trump has also asked about Ukraine’s ability to carry out strikes deep inside Russia in recent weeks in an effort to increase pressure on the Kremlin to drive an end to the war, according to a source briefed on the conversation.

In a recent phone call with Zelensky, Trump asked about Ukraine’s ability to hit both Moscow and St. Petersburg, the source said, a question first reported by the Financial Times.

A US official and a White House official said the question was one of many the president asked about the conflict on the call, and seemed to be raised in passing.

But the Ukrainians were stunned and took Trump’s ideas seriously. Zelensky said that the strikes could be carried out if the Ukrainians had the weapons needed, the first source said. After the conversation, there has been follow-up discussion between Ukraine, other European countries and the US about long-range systems that could be given to Ukraine, the source said.

Ukraine has already been reaching Moscow and the St. Petersburg area with drone strikes.

After the Financial Times reported on Trump’s question, the White House said Trump’s words had been taken out of context.

“President Trump was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing. He’s working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN.

The episode underscores the current dynamic between the two countries, as Zelensky works tirelessly to get Trump’s ear and does not want to squander what might be limited support and engagement from the United States.

Asked whether long range offensive missiles were under discussion as part of the NATO plan announced Monday, the alliance’s secretary general said the scheme could include all types of weapons.


“It’s both defensive and offensive, so it’s all kinds of weapons. But we have not discussed in detail yesterday with the president. This is really being worked through with the Pentagon, by the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, together with the Ukrainians,” Mark Rutte said after meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

On Monday, Trump’s NATO envoy Matt Whitaker said the immediate focus on shipping weapons to Ukraine was on defensive systems, like the Patriot missile batteries. But he didn’t rule out providing offensive weapons.

“All weapons are both offensive and defensive,” he said. “Obviously an air defense system is important and critical for the situation, but at the same time we’re not taking anything off the table.”

At the end of his term, President Joe Biden allowed shipments of powerful long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles to Ukraine for use inside Russia, though those weapons would not be able to reach the two cities Trump questioned Zelensky about in his phone call.

Trump called the move “stupid” and a “big mistake,” and questioned why he wasn’t consulted as he was preparing to take office.

Ukraine has also previously requested — but not yet received – Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, or JASSMs, which are fired from F-16 fighter jets. European nations have previously provided those jets to Ukraine.

For now, however, the priority appears to be getting Ukraine air defense systems — namely, the Patriot batteries that can intercept Russian ballistic missiles. Those products will be the first to enter the new weapons pipeline that Trump announced Monday involving European nations purchasing the products and then transferring them to Ukraine.

The weapons will be available to ship quickly from existing stockpiles in Europe, and will likely be backfilled by new purchases from the US by European nations.

“When it comes to ammunition and missiles, we will work on this from now on, every hour, making sure that the stuff gets into Ukraine. But of course, we know it’s not only Patriots,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Monday, citing other systems used to intercept cruise missiles as essential to Ukraine’s defenses.

“This is really discussing everything the US can still deliver without hurting the defense of the US itself,” he said.

This story has been updated with additional developments.



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