First Latin American Pontiff was buried on Saturday (26), after a solemn farewell ceremony in the presence of international leaders and 400,000 people
The cardinals intend to define on Monday (28) the start date of the conclave that will elect the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion faithful of the Catholic Church after the death of the. The meeting of the so -called “Church Princes” to choose the date was scheduled to start at 9 am (4:00 am from Brasilia). The conclave could start on May 5 or 6, after the nine days of mourning decreed by the Vatican. The first Latin American pontiff was buried on Saturday after a solemn farewell ceremony in the presence of international leaders and 400,000 people. The cardinals were summoned to Rome to choose the new Pope. Of the 135 voting right to vote -because they are under 80 years old -80% were appointed by Francisco. They come from all regions of the world and many do not know each other.
“Open Personality”
Patricia Spotti hopes that the new pontiff “be like the Pope who passed away, as Francis.” “It must have an open personality for everyone,” this 68 -year -old woman traveled from Milan to Rome told the year of Jubilee, celebrated in 2025. Many faithful fear that the new Pope represents a step back in relation to the legacy of the Argentine Jesuit, marked by the fight against minor sexual abuse in the church, for more space for women and lay people and the defense of the poor and migrants. “Our desire is to find someone who looks like Francis, not the same, but in continuity,” said 66 -year -old Cardinal Angentin Cardinal Angel Sixto Rossi. “It is possible that it starts on the 5th,” he said about the beginning of the conclave.
“It’s hard to say how we imagine the profile of the new Pope,” said Italian cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, 83, without voting rights. “There has to be continuity, but also advance forward, not only repeat the past.” Spanish Cardinal José Cobo told the newspaper El País that it will not be “nothing predictable”. “If Francisco was the pope of surprises, this conclave will be too.”
As in the movie?
The conclave, which happens at closed doors in the Sistine Chapel, has been fascinating for several centuries. The recent film of German director Edward Berger, who won the Oscar for best adapted script, further popularized the event. “More than half of us will live our first conclave. It is an opportunity to show the world that films like ‘Conclave’ and similar ones are not reality,” Spanish Cardinal Cristóbal Lópero told the Official Vatican News portal. The film portrays the process of election of a new Pope, in closed -door meetings. The fictional account shows the tensions between various wings of the Vatican.
But divisions within the church are not a fiction. The reforms driven by Francisco and his simple style aroused criticism between the most conservative sectors, who bet on a more focused change in doctrine. “Today we need unity, not division,” warned the cardinal of Mali Jean Zerbo, 81, after a prayer of the cardinals before the tomb of Francis.
The bets
The German Cardinal Reinhard Marx expects a “a few days” conclave. Roberto Regooli, professor at the Gregorian Pontifical University, believes it will not be fast. “We are in a period when Catholicism is facing various polarizations and the cardinals will have to find someone who knows how to forge a larger unit,” he said. With conflicts and diplomatic crises in the world, Italian Pietro Parolin appears as a favorite. The cardinal served as secretary of state with Francisco, after occupying the post of Nuncio in Venezuela. British betting house William Hill puts him ahead of Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle, followed by Ghanaian cardinal Peter Turkson and also Italian Matteo Zuppi.
Posted by Luisa Cardoso
*With information from AFP
