Joy Behar fears conservative, anti-gay figure could be chosen as Pope Francis’ successor after his death

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Joy Behar, co-host of 'The View', voiced her apprehension on the Tuesday, April 22, episode following the death of Pope Francis, worrying that the Vatican may shift back toward conservatism.

Pope Francis, aged 88, died on the morning of Monday in Vatican City. His funeral service is set to take place on April 27, at 10 am local time in St Peter’s Square, the New York Post reported. 

Joy Behar fears conservative backlash following Pope Francis’ death

Pope Francis was widely regarded as a reform-minded pope who attempted to modernize aspects of the Catholic Church while emphasizing mercy and compassion.

“I wonder because there might be a backlash against how good he was and how much humility he had compared to some of the leaders in this world right now, so there might be a backlash to it,” Behar said.

“And they’ll get some conservative guy in there who, you know, is anti-gay and everything else,” she added, expressing concern that the next pontiff might reverse the more inclusive tone Pope Francis set during his tenure.

Co-host Sunny Hostin also reflected on Francis' impact, saying he restored her faith in the Catholic Church despite its history of abuse scandals and rigid stances on LGBTQ+ rights.

“This pope changed things for me,” Hostin said, adding, “I remember I was having this discussion with you, Joy, about how I feel like there’s a crisis of empathy in this country, that unless it happens to you, you can’t feel the empathy of it happening to somebody else. They’re going to deport that person. It’s not going to affect my family, so I don’t care that it’s affecting others.” 

Whoopi Goldberg chimed in with personal memories of meeting Francis in June 2024, highlighting his warmth and humor.

“He said, ‘What you do is very important, because without you, it’s a grayer day,’” Goldberg recalled from a meeting of 100 global comedians convened by the pontiff. She praised him for welcoming those who had felt alienated by the Catholic Church, including LGBTQ+ individuals and the divorced.

Internet reacts as Joy Behar voices concern over Pope Francis' successor possibly undoing his legacy

Joy Behar’s recent comments on 'The View' sparked heated debate online after she expressed concern that the next pope might reverse Pope Francis’s progressive direction. 

One wrote, “She’s basically concerned Francis will be replaced by a Catholic,” while another added, “Interesting, most of us are worried that the new Pope will be someone that Joy Behar will like.”

A person commented, “How about a non-political guy?” An individual chimed in with biting commentary, “One can only hope.”

“Not Joy Behar adding to the drama,” one wrote, while another added, “Why would an atheist worry about the Pope being conservative?"

“Who am I to change God’s laws? That should be the standard for religious leaders," another comment read. 

One more stated, "The Catholic church is not conservative or liberal. It is as per God's LAW 🙏." 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.