Father Michelino Roberto, spokesman for the Archdiocese of São Paulo, shared his perspectives on the next conclave for the choice of the new Pope. According to him, this process will be marked by greater unpredictability and challenges, mainly due to the diversity of participating cardinals.
Roberto pointed out that for the first time in centuries, there will be no majority of European cardinals with voting rights. This change in the composition of the Cardinal College reflects Pope Francis’ efforts on expanding the global representativeness of the Catholic Church.
The spokesman explained that many cardinals, including Brazilians, will be participating in their first conclave. This lack of experience, coupled with the fact that many do not know each other personally can make the process more complex and potentially longer.
“Humanly speaking, I think it will be a slightly more challenging conclave, a little harder,” said Roberto. He compared this conclave with the previous ones, remembering that the election of Bento XVI was quick, while that of John Paul II took eight scrutiny.
The priest stressed the importance of the general congregations before the conclave. These meetings, held with open microphone, will allow cardinals to know each other better and discuss the main pastoral challenges that the Church currently faces.
Roberto emphasized the role of Divine Providence in choosing the new Pontiff: “In the end, who chooses the Pope and then enables him to be Pope is God Himself and the Holy Spirit.”
The spokesman also highlighted the importance of maintaining the balance between the social commitment of the church and its spiritual mission, something that was a mark of the pontificate of Francis. He concluded by pointing out that the new Pope’s main challenge will be to maintain communion in the church’s faith, guiding the faithful in a single direction.
This content was originally published in Father: This conclave will be more unpredictable on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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