In the final run-up to the Conclave, I am beginning two posts per day starting with two Italians today.

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From his birth as the fifth of six children in 1955, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi has been a Roman for Life and has close family connections to the Vatican. His father Enrico, a journalist and photographer, was appointed editor of L'Ossevatore della by Giovanni Battista Montini (the future Paul VI). Meanwhile, his mother Carla Fumagalli was the niece of Cardinal Carlo Confalonieri who was Pope Pius XI's secretary, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and as the Dean of the College of Cardinals for the funerals of Popes Paul VI, and John Paul I.

Young Matteo went to secondary school in Rome's historic center and met Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Sant'Egidio movement and soon became involved in the community. In 1977, he completed a degree in literature and philosophy at La Sapienza University in Rome with a thesis on Cardinal Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster, which Matteo credits for helping him see the complexity of the Church. He then entered a seminary in the suburban-Rome Diocese of Palestrina and studied for the priesthood at the Pontifical Lateran University where he obtained a bachelor's degree in theology. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Palestrina in 1981. He was assigned to Santa Maria in Trastevere where he was the assistant parish priest from 1981 to 2000 under Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia. He became the parish priest when Fr. Paglia became bishop of Terni in 2000. At the same time, Matteo also became an ecclesiastical assistant to Sant'Egidio primarily due to him playing a key role in the lay organization's peace accord that put an end to Mozambique's civil war in 1992.

In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI gave Matteo the honorary title of Chaplain to His Holiness which meant he became a Msgr. Then in 2010 he was transferred to serve in one of Rome's largest parishes on the city's periphery and then became auxiliary bishop of Rome two years later with Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia as a co-consecrator. Then in 2015, Matteo became Archbishop himself with the assignment being Bologna, Italy and became a Cardinal in 2019.

Why him? Maybe it is time for the Papacy to return to the Italians. Who knows what could happen, but if the Papacy returns to Italy, Matteo could be the one elected. Cardinal Matteo is known as a "street preacher" associated with the Sant'Egidio movement which:

pays attention to the periphery and peripheral people, gathering men and women of all ages and conditions, united by a fraternal tie through the listening of the Gospel and the voluntary and free commitment for the poor and peace.

There are three branches of this lay community:

• Prayer which is based on the listening of the world of God as it accompanies and guides life.

• The Poor which are the brothers and sisters of the community.

• For Peace as the organization has the awareness and understanding that war is the mother of all proverties and will drive to help rebuild the communities affected by war.

It is this background where Cardinal Matteo's views of the Mass are different than those of Pope Paul VI who said, "that there is no need to criticize when a priest celebrates a Mass privately, without lay participants." During the coronavirus pandemic, he likened the absence of the faithful to a Lenten fast. He declared the Mass to be fore the people because the community is fundamental in the Eucharistic celebration. The Cardinal is also a man who is willing to look at all sides of an issue including celebrating the old Latin Rite which was superseded by Vatican II. Plus he is willing to lead interreligious prayer services including those with the Muslim community in Bologna.

Honestly I suspect Cardinal Matteo Zuppi to be a possible White Hat despite reported leftist leanings. The truth is that this would be pope is for peace and could be a true ally with President Trump when it comes to peace and could neuter the warmongers of Europe.

Why Not Him? Like all others, the interrelgious dialogue should worry virtually everyone since it is part of UN Agenda 2030 which seeks to water down all religions and supports open borders. He also has distinctly "progressive" leanings including support for abortion based on Matteo eulogizing two far-left, pro-abortion radicals at their funerals. He is also closely connected with Gioele Magaldi, a Italian Freemason who founded the distinctively progressive Grande Oriente Democratico Masonic obedience in 2010.

Name he would pick as Pope: I could go Several ways here. First is Pope Vincenzo due to his long time working relationship with Paglia. Second is Paul VII due to his father's relationship with the future Paul VI. Finally there is Luke after the saint. But the name I pick is Vincenzo as he was the long time boss and likely mentor. But Cardinal Matteo tends to be a man of the people so who knows this man's true views. Maybe he is like US President Donald Trump and playing 4-D Chess with the rest of the world?

Source #1

Source #2