‘The View’ Host Panics Over Conservative Pope Talk—“Terrifying” Prospect [WATCH]

Co-host of The View, Joy Behar, expressed apprehension during Tuesday’s episode about the possibility that Pope Francis, who passed away Monday morning, could be succeeded by a more conservative pontiff.

As reported by The New York Post, Behar’s comments came as the panel reflected on the late Pope’s legacy and speculated about the future direction of the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis’ death was officially announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square.

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“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,” Behar said on-air.

“So there might be a backlash to it, and they’ll get some conservative guy in there who, you know, is anti-gay and everything else.”

Her remarks followed similar sentiments from fellow co-host Sunny Hostin, who acknowledged her personal struggles with being a Catholic due to the Church’s handling of sex abuse scandals and its stance on LGBTQ+ issues.

Hostin said Pope Francis had a positive influence on her perspective.

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“I’ve struggled with being a Catholic, but this pope changed things for me,” Hostin said. She referenced a 60 Minutes interview with the Pope and quoted his comments about overcoming emotional detachment and indifference.

“The globalization of indifference is a very ugly disease,” she quoted. Hostin added that she thinks that’s a “condition that this country is suffering from.”

Co-host Whoopi Goldberg also shared her experience meeting the Pope in 2023, saying he invited 100 comedians from around the world to the Vatican for a gathering focused on the importance of joy and laughter.

“He said, ‘I want to laugh more, we all need to laugh more,’ and then he looked at the 100 of us, and he said, ‘what you do is very important, because without you, it’s a grayer day,’” Goldberg recalled.

The View “This Pope was the most Jesus-like” pic.twitter.com/PTvX8d6wLF

— Anthony (@Catholicizm1) April 23, 2025

In a prior appearance on The View, Goldberg had praised Pope Francis for his inclusive approach toward marginalized groups. “I appreciated that,” she said, referencing his invitation for gay and divorced Catholics to return to the Church.

Pope Francis often focused his homilies and public statements on humility, mercy, and inclusion, while also making global headlines for weighing in on political issues.

As the Vatican prepares for the papal conclave, Behar and her co-hosts reflected concerns shared by many on the political left about the direction of the Church under new leadership.

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