Cardinal Dom Odilo Scherer, Archbishop of Sao Paulo, said on Monday (21) that “no one should be surprised” if the new Pope, to be chosen during the conclave, whether an Asian or African.
“No one should be surprised if an African cardinal was chosen to be a Pope or an Asian Cardinal to be a Pope or again an Italian cardinal to be Pope. It is in the possibilities. If it happens, it will not mean that the church turned only to Africa or turned only to Asia, returned to the back to America or re-focused on Europe. From the pontificate that will then tell us where will the personal choices that the Pope will make, ”he said.
Dom Odilo pointed out that this variety of nationalities between the possibilities for a new papacy stems from the fact that during the Pontificate of Francisco, the Cardinis College became even more diverse.
Mass in honor of Pope Francis, in the Cathedral of the Sé – Photo: Paulo Pinto/Agência Brasil
“What has changed is that since Pope Francis here, the College of Cardinals today is much more internationalized than before. The vast majority of cardinals are no more Europeans. Latin and north Americas have a great weight. Africa has a significant weight and Asia also has a weight in cardinal college,” he explained.
For the cardinal, although it is not yet possible to reveal the nationality or political position of the new Pope, which is known so far “is that he will not be a new Francis.”
“No one expects the next Pope to be Francis II. He may even be named after Francis II, but it will not be the similar image to Francis II. He will be another Pope.”
“No one expects a Pope in favor of war. No one expects a pope who does not take care of the poor. No one expects a Pope who does not say the priests to be well formed. This is the general norm. Therefore, the next Pope will be someone who will take good care of the church life and the mission of the church. But the next pope will be a human person, he will not be a robot,” he said.
Cardinal
Father Júlio Lancellotti participates in the Mass in honor of Pope Francis, in the Cathedral of the Sé – Photo: Paulo Pinto/Agência Brasil
Dom Odilo was appointed Cardinal in 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. A cardinal is the authority of the Catholic Church that is closest to the Pope and can participate and vote for the conclave to choose a new Pope. All cardinals under 80 years of age, as is the case with Dom Odilo, can vote for the conclave. And any cardinal can be elected Pope.
In a press conference on the morning of Monday, in the Cathedral of the Sé, in the center of São Paulo, before Celebrate a Mass in honor of Pope FrancisDom Odilo revealed that he should participate in the funeral of the Pontiff and also the Conclave, which he has already participated in 2013 and that he elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope. That same year, Dom Odilo’s name was speculated among the possibilities of being a new Catholic leader.
The cardinal pointed out that after the death of Pope Francis, at dawn on Monday, these “speculation and fans” about the new pontificate will begin. Although this is natural, he said, the choice of the new Pope will be “the result of a collective discernment” of the cardinals.
“The Pope’s choice is not an earlier shell, ready. This is fantasy. The Pope’s choice comes from a discernment that is made in a climate of prayer and a self-employment of responsibility for the Church. Responsibility is for the church, not to save an ideology or a party or a taste. It is not an election campaign,” he explained.
Dom Odilo also said that speculation about whether the new Pope will be more conservative or progressive are external concerns and are not reflected in the church.
“The concern in the Pope’s choice is certainly not the question whether he is progressive or conservative. This is an external concern. The gospel is both progressive and conservative. Clearly the choice for the poor, the attention to social justice, the care of migrants, and the worry of the peace of the world are not progressive or conservative postures, they are gospel postures.”
Cardinal Odilo Scherer, Archbishop of São Paulo, celebrates Mass in Pope Francis suffrage – Photo: Paulo Pinto/Agência Brasil
Last meeting
During the interview, Dom Odilo revealed that the last time he was with Pope Francis was in February this year, shortly before he was hospitalized for health problems.
“I keep this last meeting with great affection and this last participation in an audience with him, on February 13 this year,” he said.
But that was not the only time they were together.
“I had some longer and more personal conversations with Pope Francis and were very good. As always, he heard a lot, then spoke with a lot of wisdom.”
In one of these meetings, shortly after Pope Francis’ visit to Brazil in 2013, Dom Odilo handed a book to the Pope. This book gathered several caricatures by Pope Francis made by Brazilian artists at the time of his visit to Rio de Janeiro to participate in the World Youth Day.
“Some artists and cartoonists produced a book with cartoons from Pope Francis and gave me to him. I took it and handed him after a mass. He looked, looked, and fell into a very beautiful laugh,” he said.
