by Christopher White | National Catholic Reporter

When the world’s Catholic cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel to elect the next pontiff, eight out of ten will share one primary thing in common: They were all elevated to their rank by Pope Francis.

As they gather for what is expected to be the largest conclave in history, the cardinals now face a stark choice: to continue along the path of reform as the trailblazing Francis — of opening the church up to the modern world and making its structures more inclusive — or to initiate a course correction.