WI: Pope Francis in 2005?

Let's say (for what ever reason), Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) does not become Pope in 2005. The sclerotic organization was hardly in a position to handle the various messes that have arisen in the world (and internally) in the last decade.

Rather, let's say Jorge Mario Bergoglio (the current Pope Francis) got the seat back then.
According to many sources, he was a strong candidate at the time.

(from Wiki, Nat Geo, National Catholic Reporter, etc)
"He participated as a cardinal elector in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. In the National Catholic Reporter, John L. Allen, Jr. reported that Bergoglio was a frontrunner in the 2005 conclave."

How would he have handled the sexual abuse scandals? The movement towards same-sex marriages? Etc? Would he still have been a superstar?

What do you see as changing?
 
Hard to say for sure, but thus far he has been a better Pope than Benedict. Francis as the direct successor of John Paul II is probably a good thing.
 
At this point it's ASB. Bergoglio at the time was probably the one man who wanted the job even less than Ratzinger, even, according to the leaked Anonymous Cardinal's diary, pretty much telling Daneels et al to stop voting for him, basically saying he would refuse to accept his own election.

Piero Marini is a more likely alternative. And if he gets into the Chair of Peter...

God help us all.
 
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