5 quotes from Cardinal Robert Sarah, a favorite among conservatives to succeed Pope Francis

Cardinal Robert Sarah – championed by conservatives arsenic reflecting the doctrinaire and liturgically minded papacies of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI – is among those being considered to regenerate Pope Francis.

An African cardinal from Guinea, Sarah, 79, is viewed arsenic a spiritual and theological standard-bearer for blimpish Catholics, arsenic critics of Francis person argued the precocious pope was excessively heavy influenced by modern secularism. 

Sarah antecedently headed the Vatican’s foundation bureau Cor Unum and clashed with Francis connected galore occasions. 

Their ideological disagreement astir earnestly came to a caput erstwhile Sarah and Benedict – who retired arsenic acting pope successful 2013 – co-authored a publication titled "From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy and the Crisis of the Catholic Church." The 2020 publication advocated the "necessity" of continued celibacy for Latin Rite priests and came retired arsenic Francis was weighing whether to let joined priests successful the Amazon to code a clergyman shortage there. 

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Cardinal Robert Sarah appears for the presumption of Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke's publication "Divine Love Made Flesh," successful Rome, connected Oct. 14, 2015.  (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

As a result, Francis dismissed Benedict’s secretary, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, from his papal household job, and respective months aboriginal retired Sarah aft helium turned 75. The imaginable of a retired pope trying to power a reigning 1 created the script that canon lawyers and theologians had warned of erstwhile Benedict decided to clasp the achromatic cassock of the papacy successful status arsenic "pope emeritus." The ungraded died down aft Benedict removed himself arsenic a co-author.

It's really Sarah's 2019 publication that's causing much of a disturbance with blimpish Christians successful the aftermath of Francis' passing. 

Sarah has described "The Day Is Now Far Spent" arsenic his astir important book. In it, the cardinal decries however Europe and Western civilization person turned distant from Christianity and endure from ideological challenges brought by wide migration. 

By contrast, Francis had openly contradicted the Trump administration and Vice President JD Vance – a Catholic person – implicit their crackdown connected amerciable immigration. 

Vance, 1 of the past dignitaries to conscionable with Francis connected Easter Sunday earlier his passing, has referenced Pope John Paul II – ideologically much akin to Sarah – successful caller nationalist addresses. At the Munich Security Conference, Vance praised John Paul II arsenic "one of the astir bonzer champions of democracy" erstwhile emphasizing the importance of Western values. The vice president besides celebrated John Paul II's telephone for caller evangelization astatine the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast successful Washington, D.C.

Sarah co-authored 2 different books – "God oregon Nothing: A Conversation connected Faith" successful 2015 and The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise successful 2017 – some with French writer Nicolas Diat. 

Here are immoderate cardinal quotes by Sarah being highlighted up of Francis' ceremonial aboriginal this week. The papal conclave volition convene successful the coming weeks to take a caller person of the Catholic Church. 

1. The West is ‘cut itself disconnected from its Christian heritage’

Sarah argued that the West has chopped itself disconnected from its Christian heritage successful "The Day is Now Far Spent." 

Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah attends a supplication astatine the Cathedral of Our Lady of Victories successful Dakar connected Dec. 4, 2023.  ( GUY PETERSON/AFP via Getty Images)

"The West nary longer knows who it is, due to the fact that it nary longer knows and does not privation to cognize who made it, who established it, arsenic it was and arsenic it is. The West refuses to admit its Christian roots."

"By losing its faith, Europe has besides mislaid its crushed to be. It is experiencing a lethal diminution and is becoming a caller civilization, 1 that is chopped disconnected from its Christian roots."​

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2. Gender ideology is ‘Luciferian’

Sarah argued that sex ideology is an affront to God's instauration and cannot fundamentally alteration whether a idiosyncratic is antheral oregon pistillate successful "The Day is Now Far Spent." 

"Gender ideology is simply a Luciferian refusal to person a intersexual quality from God."

3. Called wide migration a ‘new signifier of slavery’

In a March 2019 interrogation with the French work "Valeurs Actuelles," Sarah reportedly criticized the relation of the Catholic Church successful supporting wide migration policies successful Europe, noting the harm caused to the migrants themselves. 

"All migrants who get successful Europe are penniless, without work, without dignity," Sarah reportedly said. "This is what the Church wants? The Church cannot cooperate with this caller signifier of slavery that has go wide migration."​

Newly appointed cardinal, Guinean Robert Sarah greets visitors during the traditionnal courtesy sojourn aft the consistory connected Nov. 20, 2010 astatine the Vatican. (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

4. Calls modern distractions ‘the devil's tool'

In "The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise," Sarah argues that modern distractions abstracted humankind from God.

"Distraction is the devil’s instrumentality for cutting antheral disconnected from God."

5. Calls Christians to garbage loyalty to ‘popularity oregon politics’

In "God oregon Nothing: A Conversation connected Faith," Sarah asserts that one's loyalty indispensable beryllium to Christ – alternatively than to popularity oregon authorities – and repeatedly argues against motivation relativism successful household and societal norms. 

"The Church is not a quality organization. She is not taxable to the fashions of the time oregon the winds of doctrine. She indispensable beryllium faithful to Christ."

"God oregon nothing: determination is nary different choice. Those who take God person everything. Those who take thing are lost."

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"If information nary longer exists, if everything is relative, past antheral becomes a enslaved to his passions."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.