Rome.- It was the last Sunday without Pope in Rome. It is discounted that the one that comes already Francisco’s successor will have been elected, which will probably debut in its first Mariana Prayer of Regina Coeli from the Apostolic Palace window. Who will be? Where will it come from?
A Three days of the start of the conclave -To 16.30 on Wednesday-, it was not a normal Sunday but marked by these questions and a climate of growing anxiety. The 133 Cardinals that will enter the Sistine Chapel, although they did not have general congregations – the preparatory meetings – did not rest. While many took the opportunity to continue talking at meetings, lunches in “Trattorias” Roman or in private houses, in search of closing agreements to achieve the necessary votes to impose candidates of the various factions, others celebrated Mass in the churches of Rome of which they are holders. Many, especially those who come out on the papable lists, made him harassed by legions of journalists in search of images and keys to understand what will come.
The French cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Marseille archbishop born in Algeria 66 years ago, for example, showed that He speaks much better Italian than was thought, in a mass that celebrated in the Santa Maria Dei Monti church in the homonymous neighborhood, near the coliseum. Although he read the text of his homily -which lasted less than 7 minutes, as Francisco recommended so as not to bore the faithful -, he celebrated the rest of the Mass in Italian without any French problem. Physically similar and With the same good, affable and open appearance of John XXIII (1958-1963), some French journalists commented on how low they imagine Aveline, president of the French bishops and ascent star, in line with the Church at the exit of Francisco, as a possible “Juan XXIV”.
His compatriot, the cardinal of Ajaccio, Corsica, Francois-Xavier Bustillo, that he celebrated in “his” parish of Santa María Immaculate of Lourdes of the Roman neighborhood of Boccea, in his sermon recalled that Jesus “does not ask if you are strong, if you have a marketing strategy or if you know how to speak languages,” It asks “to love him until the end” and, in this listening, “be docile and responsible,” Ansa said, interpreting these words as a message for the conclave.
The American cardinal Timothy Dolan, New York Archbishop, conservative, always critical of Francisco and supported Donald Trump’s candidacy, After celebrating in the Church of Guadalupe in Monte Mario, he assured the journalists that, because it was his second conclave, he was living this experience more serenely than in 2013. Accessed if a “Francisco II” was possible, Dollan was a diplomatic: “I hope, I think we are fortunate because even even We could make a mix of the last potatoes, Francisco, but I also think about the intellectual intensity of Benedict XVI and John Paul II, with his courage and his call to follow Jesus … I think that If we get to combine these great characteristics of them it would be a blessing“, said.
For its part, the cardinal Mario Poli, archbishop emeritus of Buenos Aires and one of The four Argentines that as of Wednesday they will participate in the election Secret of Francisco’s successor, celebrated Mass at the Argentine National Church “Santa Maria Addolrata del Viale Regina Margherita” before dozens of compatriots.
In a climate of enormous expectation, the main Italian newspapers continued in an obvious media campaign in favor of the “strongest” papable, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Francisco Secretary of State. 70 -year -old diplomat, moderate and without pastoral experience, for his trips around the world as number two of Francisco, is the best known figure in a school of voters never so international (70 countries represented) and where many do not know each other.
Parolin is presented as a peaceful figure in a divided cardinal school And as someone who would put some “calm” and order after an informal and disruptive papacy. But he has no charisma.
“The risk is that the most voted candidates are blocked after the first scrutiny,” The newspaper of the newspaper wrote The messenger, Franca Giansoldati, who, like everyone else, indentified Cardinal Filipino, Luis Antonio “Chito” Tagle, 67 years old, like the other great favorite. He calculated, like other experts, that Parolin could have a good package of votes (between 40 and 50), and that The problem is that I could get stuck with those numbers and not grow. In fact, No purple approaches the magic number, 89, the two thirds necessary to be elected.
“It takes time” for an agreement between all, They admitted some cardinals, which on Monday, as the “novelty” -the nine days of mourning and masses in suffrage for Francisco’s soul-, already ended,, For the first time they will have pre-cóclave meetings in the morning and in the afternoon.
As there were never so many cardinals in a conclave (the voters will be 133 of the 135 enabled because two – a European and an African – warned that they were going to be absent from health problems), it transpired that many could not speak yet, something fundamental. Everyone remembers, in fact, that The brief speech that the Archbishop of Buenos Aires on March 9, 2013 was key, When he called a non -self -referential church and on the exit towards the existential and geographical peripheries of the world, fulfilling others.
The main title of the newspaper The press, Based on a survey, he assured that “Six Italians of ten want a progressive pontiff,” something that would indicate that they prefer that Francisco’s successor It is not Italian.
“Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna, of the community of San Egidio, although he presents himself as someone in line with Francisco’s pastoral The nation A bishop who asked for anonymity. “The CEI built in its image and likeness, not in the image of Francisco, who in recent years moved away from him because he even allowed Bologna to celebrate the Mass in Latin,” he added.
And it went further: the same source revealed that Zuppi, famous for having been a mediator of various conflicts in Africa and would have the vote of various conservative cardinals of that continent, would be, as tactics, Telling several voting colleagues to vote for Parolin, “as if to probe the land.”
The other Italian papable candidate, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Pier battista pizzaballa, 60 years, on the other hand, it is far from being a progressive purple, but it is being promoted by conservative groups.
On an abnormal Sunday, where the conclave The last novelty Mass by the deceased Pope in the Basilica of San Pedro.
“We have all admired how Pope Francis, encouraged by the love of the Lord and carried by his grace, was faithful to his mission until the end of his forces”Said Cardinal Corso-France in his sermon Domich Mambertiwhich presided over the solemn ceremony.
“He warned the powerful who had to obey God before men and proclaimed humanity the full joy of the Gospel, the merciful Father, Christ Savior. He did it in his teaching, in his trips, in his gestures, in his lifestyle,” he added. “I was close to him on Easter Day, in the lodge of the blessings of this basilica, Witness of his suffering, but above all of his courage and his determination to serve the people of God until the end”Mamberti recalled that, in a few days, in his function of Cardinal Protodiácono, He must announce in Latin who was elected as a new Pope, From that same balcony, after the White smoking.
Mamberti, a 73 -year -old diplomat that is discounted to support Parolin’s candidacy, In his homily he mentioned Benedict XVI and John Paul II, two conservative potatoes and much more rigid and formal style than that of the Argentine, a message.
Dressed with a striking white miter with gold embroidery -which recalled those of Pius XII, totally different from the simple and austere of Francisco -Mamberti called to rediscover the taste of the prayer of worship. “This ability that gives adoration was not difficult to recognize in Pope Francis. His intense pastoral life, his innumerable encounters, were based on long moments of prayer that Ignatian discipline had left printed on him,” he said.
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