The weak points of Parolin, the favorite to be the next Pope, and the secret secret of his relationship with Francisco

Rome.- In the days before the 2013, the great favorite was the Italian cardinal, Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan. But Scola, who entered the conclave as a potato, came out as a cardinal. And an unknown archbishop of Buenos Aires was elected who chose to be called Francisco.

A week and one day of the start of the conclave that must choose your successor, Italian newspapers either have doubts that the great papabile He is an Italian: Cardinal Pietro ParolinSecretary of State, number two of Francisco. But also he, as happened to Scola, Pope and exit cardinal could enter?

It is the million dollar question, because, beyond the loyalty that always showed Pope Francis, Parolin also has its weak pointsthat go beyond the pressure reigning in pre-coclave meetings so that, after 47 years, There is an Italian Pope again. The last was Juan Pablo I, the Pope of the 33 days, in 1978, which was then followed by a Polish, Juan Pablo II (1978-2005), a German, Benedict XVI (2005-2013) and an Argentine.

But let’s start with The many points in favor of Parolin: It is a very friendly and moderate, skilled diplomatic, that many believe that the spirits would calm down after a papacy who internally twisted the waters, considered by some too open, informal and disruptive.

All analysts agree that the Cardinal of Origin Véneta will enter the vote with a privileged position and a good package of votes. 70 years old and in a curial style in the antipodes with his former chief, he is the best known candidate in a school of Cardinals never so International (71 countries represented), numerous and varied (does anyone know where the Archipelago-Reino de Tonga is in Oceania?).

During his mandate, Parolin, who was playing with masses as a child and said he wanted to be a big potato, He made trips all over the world and that is why he is the best known Among cardinal electors who regret never having seen each other.

On the other hand, according to the norms of the Dominici Gregis (the Apostolic Constitution that is “the Bible” of the conclave), Parolin, as is the greatest of cardinals-obispos, will be the one who will direct the conclave. Both the dean of the Cardenalicio College, the Italian Giovanni Battista Re, and the Vice Dean, the Argentine Leonardo Sandri, in effect, are over 80 years and cannot enter the Sistine chapel. In addition, it is presented as a continuity candidatehaving been the number two of Francisco; although many question this interpretation.

Among the weak points, beyond that he has no pastoral experience-he only lived a couple of years in a parish-the first is that, as happened with Scola in 2013, It does not have the support of the 19 Italian cardinals who will participate in the vote. These are not a compact block. They are divided and compete with each other. Parolin, in effect, faces two other candidates considered “papable”: the cardinal Matteo ZuppiArchbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, 69 and in line with Jorge Bergoglio, of the community of San Egidio; and the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Pier Batista Pizzaballa60 years and driven by a conservative wing.

The division of Italians also has to do with something that Italian newspapers barely hint, but which is An open secret. Although Parolin was designated by Francisco as his number two in August 2013 and made him return to Rome from Venezuela, where he was a nuncio (Vatican ambassador), Many know that, over the years, they were distanced.

“Although Francisco appointed him as Secretary of State, over time he realized that he no longer trusted him, everyone knows,” an Italian bishop said to La Nacion that he preferred anonymity and that he did not hide his “terror” that, if he is elected parolin, can stop that “refloration of the Church” that the Argentine Pope brought. “I can’t believe that there are Italian newspapers to shut up this and say that Parolin is the favorite ‘because he was the strong man of Bergoglio’, something that is not true,” he lamented.

The truth is that the Pope himself in the last months of life He took care that Parolin was not his bet For the conclave, or its dolphin. In February, shortly before being admitted to the Gemelli and thinking about his succession, Francisco decided to extend the mandate as a dean of the Cardinal College to Re, from 91 years and who already had five occupying that position.

Then, he gave no explanation about his decision. But nobody escaped that, like the dean of the Cardinal College he plays a fundamental role in the “vacant headquarters”, he preferred to leave him, that by age he cannot enter the conclave. Everyone recalls that in the 2005 conclave after the death of John Paul II, the dean of the Cardenalicio College was Joseph Ratzinger, and that it was he, as such, who presided over both the funeral and the Mass by pro-elliguing Pontiff, two moments that allowed him to consolidate his candidacy.

If Francisco had not renewed the mandate of Giovanni Battista Re as the dean of the Cardenalicio College, it is very likely that the 12 cardinals-objects in charge of choosing the purple that should occupy that position, would have opted for Pietro Parolin. And that would have given Parolin a huge visibility, shooting his options as a papable. Besides, Francisco also did not want to give Pietro Parolin any relevant role in the events of the Holy Weekin which Bergoglio was convalescent.

Many also remember that, during their last and hard hospitalization in the Gemelli, he preferred to receive before in his bed of sick the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, that to Parolin, whom the last times always received not alone, but next to the substitute, the Venezuelan archbishop Edgar Peña Parra. “In the substitute I was confident, in Parolin, no”said the same bishop.

“The Italian cardinals who are diplomatic or curia Papa Papa want to do it as it may be to maintain their positions and because they expect it to centralize everything in the Secretary of Stateto which Francisco took not only power, but also the funds, which would be a turning back, ”another Vatican source, which advanced that this Wednesday, in the seventh general congregation of Cardinals, the issue on the agenda is the economy, explained to La Nacion.

“Parolin wants to present as the solution to the way of making Francisco’s economy, seen as wrong by many, something that is a fallacy because behind the entire scandal of the millionaire investment of Cardinal Becciu in London, for example, was Parolin, which was his superior superior and did not avoid it,” he added. “The plan is to return to the previous scheme, of all centralized in the Secretary of State, which is what produced the corruption that Pope Francis tried to cut,” he said.

In this living red and countdown climate, the director of the press room, Matteo Bruni, in a meeting with journalists confirmed that, In the end, there will be 133 voters who will enter the conclave. Two, in effect, will not be able to participate for health reasons, the Vatican made known. This is the Spanish Antonio Cañizares, emeritus of Valencia and John Njue, from Kenya. Thus, the next Pope will need 89 votes (two thirds) to be elected.

In addition, it was confirmed that the conclave will begin at 16.30, when the 133 cardinals will enter the Sistine Chapel for the swearing prior to the election, as planned in the Ordo Rituum Conclavis, after praying in the Paolina chapel. That afternoon there will be only one vote. In the morning, the aforementioned Cardinal Re, dean of the Cardinal College, will preside with the 133 Cardinals voters the “Mass pro-elligued Pontiff” in the Basilica of San Pedro.

If the trend of the last two conclaves is repeated, which lasted just two days, There could be a new Pope the next day, on Thursday, May 8. But we will have to wait.