The truth is no one really knows what to expect from the conclave. Due to being both a divine and human event, papal conclaves are usually almost impossible to predict.
Newsroom (07/05/2025 09:30, Gaudium Press) An often heard phrase is he who enters the conclave as a pope leaves as a cardinal. Another Roman phase is “A fat pope follows a thin one” this adage in the Catholic Church describing a perceived trend that conclaves tend to counterbalance the preceding pope with one having different ideological emphases.
Yet many Catholic’s like to try to guess at which cardinal could become the pope. We review here some of the papabili.
Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk
Aged 71, the archbishop of Utrecht, is a well-known theologically conservative Dutch prelate. A firm defender of traditional Catholic teachings, especially on moral and ethical issues such as euthanasia and same-sex “marriage,” and a long-serving member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Cardinal Eijk is a former physician who has a deep knowledge of bioethics, making him well-suited to address modern medical-moral challenges. He has led the Dutch Church through difficult times including declining Church attendance in the Netherlands and church closures.
1. Background & Career Highlights
Born: June 22, 1953, in Duivendrecht, Netherlands.
Education: Trained as a medical doctor (specializing in bioethics) before entering the priesthood.
Ordained: 1985; later earned a doctorate in moral theology.
Bishop of Groningen-Leeuwarden: 1999–2007.
Archbishop of Utrecht: 2008–present (Primate of the Netherlands).
Elevated to Cardinal: 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.
2. Theological & Doctrinal Positions
Conservative Bioethics: Strongly opposes euthanasia, abortion, and assisted suicide (critiquing Dutch laws). Eijk manifests a love of Catholic truth even when it is unpopular, as seen in his willingness to defend Humanae Vitae
Traditionalist on Morality: Upholds Church teaching on sexuality, marriage, and gender identity. Many homosexuals publicly protested against his appointment as bishop at the time. Eijk’s brain hemorrhage in 2001 may have been brought on by the commotion surrounding his earlier published views on homosexuality. Eijk reiterated the need for pastoral care that is able to bring homosexuals to a gospel-based path of life. And about that path of life Eijk was also very clear: “Homosexuals must hold themselves to abstinence.”
In a 2015 essay, Eijk emphasized that those who are divorced and civilly “remarried” stand guilty of the sin of adultery and so have lost “the grace of justification already received and [are] unworthy to receive Communion, unless [they have] repented of the sin, confessed it, and no longer [commit] it.”
Critique of Liberal Catholicism: Warns against secularization’s impact on the Church. From numerous letters, lectures, interviews, and teachings, it seems that Eijk sees current secularization and “hyper-individualism” as the most potent threats to Christian life and values.
In a 2012 column, for example, Eijk wrote that the majority in Western Europe has become spiritually blind in the last fifty years and that it does not seem to matter anymore what one believes. “In addition to this culture, evangelizing is also complicated by the idea that faith and reason exclude each other and the misconception that religions in themselves are the causes of violence, discord and war.”
Eucharistic Discipline: Supports restricting Communion for politicians who defy Church teaching (e.g., pro-abortion leaders).
3. Role in the Dutch Church & Vatican
Challenges in the Netherlands: Leads a shrinking but devout Catholic minority in a highly secularized society. “It pains me when a church has to close,” he has said. “But I said it before: in the shrinking process that the Church is going through, we must not cling to buildings; that is not our salvation. Our Faith is linked not to a building but to God.”
Cardinal Eijk has shown himself to be committed to the formation and education of priests and future Church leaders, immersing himself in the work of Ariens Institute, the house of priestly formation in the archdiocese of Utrecht.
Eijk has a marked devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. On May 13, 2017, the Cardinal dedicated all Dutch dioceses to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. During his homily, he spoke of Mary’s message in Fatima: “The first was a vision of hell and the call to prayer, repentance and penance to save souls and bring them to eternal salvation. The existence of hell was (and is) denied by many Christians and not, or hardly, raised by Christian proclaimers in preaching or catechesis.
Influence in Rome: Consulted on bioethical issues by the Vatican (e.g., Pontifical Academy for Life).
Synods: Participated in 2015 Synod on the Family, advocating for doctrinal clarity.
4. Controversies & Criticism
Parish Closures: Oversaw consolidation of Dutch dioceses due to declining Mass attendance.
Traditionalist Leanings: Some accuse him of being too rigid on pastoral issues.
Opposition to Euthanasia: Clashed with Dutch authorities over legalized euthanasia.
5. Relationship with Pope Francis
Doctrinally Aligned but Not a Core Ally: Less influential than progressive European cardinals but respected for intellectual rigor.
Conclusion
Cardinal Eijk is a highly intellectual, doctrinally conservative leader focused on battling secularization in Europe. His medical background shapes his strong stances on bioethics, making him a unique figure in the College of Cardinals. Over the years, he has become used to sometimes vehement criticism for his unabashed adherence to the Faith in all its facets, providing an example for pastors who desire to “feed the flock” given them by Christ, no matter what wolves may be prowling around.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from collegeofcardinalsreport.com
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