Following the death of Pope Francis in April, the conclave to choose the next head of the Catholic Church will begin next week, on May 7th.
As the world waits to hear who the next pope will be, we’d like to hear your views on what the Catholic Church means to you?
[ What happens after a pope dies?Opens in new window ]
Pope Francis was elected pontiff in 2013 and in the years following, we saw many threats to Catholicism in Ireland – from a reduction in Mass attendance and the number of priests, to sexual abuse scandals.
Outside of the church, Ireland has seen societal change to traditional attitudes, in the form of the thirty-fourth amendment, which allowed for same-sex marriage, and the thirty-six amendment, which allowed for abortion in certain circumstances.
As the Catholic Church prepares to move into a new era, we’d like to hear your thoughts.
Do you still go to Mass? Has your religious observance lapsed or has religion become more important to you later in life?
[ New pope will face a Vatican budget crisis and myriad other problemsOpens in new window ]
You can let us know what you think using the form below. Please limit your submissions to 400 words or less.
Please include a phone number for verification purposes only. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please indicate this in your submission – we will keep your name and contact details confidential.
We will curate a selection of submissions for an article but please note we may not publish every submission we receive.
