The Future of Catholicism

Here are a few important points.

• The discussion questions are viewable online, so we will save paper by not printing them out.
• The videos are curated by Francisco Park, who is a member of https://www.buddytree.org

Here are the video and discussion questions for this event:
https://www.buddytree.org/hangout/AuFMKZczlH

Videos:

1. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/catholics-around-the-globe-mourn-the-death-of-pope-francis (2:55)

2. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/a-look-at-pope-francis-legacy-and-focus-on-social-justice (7:22)

3. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/whats-next-for-the-catholic-church-as-it-prepares-to-select-its-new-leader (2:51)

4. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-pope-francis-made-history-and-reshaped-the-church-in-his-12-year-papacy (6:44)

5. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/vatican-plans-for-pope-francis-funeral-as-conclave-speculation-intensifies

6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV3GPibSsTI&t=24s (5:05)

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O894F6Ia9F0&t=377s (29:30)

8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZKYqmhalvQ (22:28)

9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI955ImU258&t=26s (12:10)

10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80vqVCJJTDE (3:04)

11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj3Qnr_30Z4 (4:12)

Reading: (Optional)

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/world/europe/pope-francis-dead.html

2. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/23/opinion/pope-francis-death-legacy.html

3. https://www.economist.com/obituary/2025/04/21/pope-francis-changed-the-catholic-church-but-not-as-much-as-he-hoped

4. https://www.economist.com/international/2025/04/21/the-coming-struggle-to-choose-the-next-pope

5. https://www.forwardpathway.us/the-catholic-church-in-a-changing-era-legacy-challenges-and-future-directions

Spanish: (Optional)

1. https://elpais.com/opinion/2025-04-25/las-tres-ensenanzas-del-papa-francisco.html

2. https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-04-24/la-revolucion-de-las-mujeres-en-la-iglesia-todavia-no-ha-comenzado.html

3. https://elpais.com/opinion/2025-04-26/el-papa-era-de-izquierdas-o-de-derechas.html

4. https://elpais.com/opinion/editoriales/

Italian: (Optional)

1. https://www.internazionale.it/magazine/elisabetta-pique/2025/04/23/dalla-fine-del-mondo

2. https://www.internazionale.it/opinione/pierre-haski/2025/04/22/visione-mondo-papa-francesco-tre-immagini

3. https://www.internazionale.it/notizie/sarah-belouezzane/2025/04/21/elezione-nuovo-papa

Questions:

1. What is the legacy of Pope Francis?

2. What is the future of Catholicism?

3. What role will women play in the future leadership of the Catholic Church?

4. How will the Church balance tradition and modernization in its teachings and practices?

5. How might the Church engage with younger generations and address their spiritual needs?

6. How will the Catholic Church navigate its relationships with governments and political leaders worldwide?

7. Will the Catholic Church continue to play a significant role in global humanitarian efforts?

8. What are the potential implications of increased digitalization and social media use in Church communication?

9. How might the Church's teachings on family planning and birth control evolve in response to changing societal norms?

In Collaboration with Ceit Hustedde (Longtime Member of Buddytree)