Choosing a brand new Pope: ‘Conclave is moderately intimidating’

The chief of the Roman Catholic church in England and Wales has mentioned he surely might not be the following pontiff, however is taking a look ahead to the “intimidating” responsibility of opting for Pope Francis’s successor.

Following Pope Francis’s dying, the following Pope will probably be selected by way of the College of Cardinals, who will accumulate for a practice referred to as the conclave.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols will vote with greater than 100 others, however virtually ignored out, as he’s only some months off his 80th birthday, the age prohibit for vote casting rights.

The Merseyside-born Archbishop of Westminster mentioned he idea it could “pass me by” till he heard the Pope used to be critically in poor health and idea: “Oh Lord, this is going to come my way.”

The conclave, which historically begins after a two-week mourning duration, sees the College of Cardinals accumulate within the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel to forged a sequence of votes to select the following pope.

Theoretically, any baptised guy can also be elected as pope, however a cardinal, all of whom are serving archbishops ordained by way of a pontiff, is in most cases picked.

There are these days 252 cardinals and whilst all can participate within the debate about who will have to be selected, the vote casting age restriction manner best the 135 who’re below 80 can vote.

Cardinal Nichols, who leads six million Roman Catholics in England and Wales, completely informed BBC North West he “never thought” he could be vote casting as a result of Pope Francis “didn’t show many signs of slowing down” and looked to be convalescing from double pneumonia.

However, he performed down any advice of last within the Vatican as the following pope himself.

“I’m coming home,” he mentioned.

“You can be sure of that.”

The 79-year-old archbishop, who used to be born in Crosby at the Merseyside coast, mentioned he had met Pope Francis a number of instances all through high-level conferences in Rome, however had two abiding particular recollections.

“One particularly has never left me,” he mentioned.

“He said to me: ‘From the moment of my election as Pope, my peace has never left me’.

“Despite the drive of all he has to maintain, he has lived on the subject of God.”

Cardinal Nichols also said he had fond memories of their last meeting two years ago.

He said an author had asked him to give a copy of their latest book to Pope Francis.

“I gave him the ebook and mentioned the writer used to be ‘very prepared that you will have this’,” he mentioned.

“He got here again after lunch with a handwritten card and a replica of certainly one of his personal books for me to present as a go back reward.

“That was quite astonishing.”

Following Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, Cardinal Nichols will sign up for his fellow cardinals to vote for the 267th pontiff, who will cross on to guide the arena’s estimated 1.4 billion Catholics.

He mentioned the chance used to be “quite intimidating frankly”.

He added that he believed the cardinals would their “best work once the doors of the conclave have been shut”, as at that time, there could be “a peace and a prayerfulness between us”.

“I know I have got to get myself together and be a little nuanced to all the political manoeuvring and Paddy Power’s bets and all that and say ‘actually, this is a group of men trying to discern the will of God,” he mentioned.

“That’s the only thing that matters.”