I am an evangelical, and rarely post on religious topics. The following question may be inappropriate, so please feel free to ignore it.
To wit, if the cardinals didn’t want a very liberal Pope, why did they elect a South American Jesuit?
This may be the wrong answer, but ....... perhaps the Holy Spirit gives us the shepherd we deserve, for a greater good.
For Catholics, human sufferings are, when made a sacrificial offering to God, who suffered and cruelly died on a Cross for us, are believed redemptive for our salvation and for those of others for whom we intercede, while enduring to the end.
There is no way the Church will avoid the path of Jesus to the Cross. The Church rather dreads but embraces the Way of the Cross, as our Lord and Savior dreaded, but chose to suffer and died for us.
Our Cross is not empty, nor should it be. It is everything when he is seen stretched out, open armed, upon it. It is our faith. Lord have mercy.