Several Catholic cardinals stated that they do not yet have a clear idea of who will emerge as Pope Francis’ successor as they enter a conclave on Wednesday to choose a new pope. However, individual clerics’ speeches during meetings this week may be decisive. Before the conclave, in which they will be confined to a hotel and forbidden from contacting the outside world, the 133 cardinals are holding close to daily meetings to discuss issues affecting the 1.4 billion Catholics. Although Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are frequently mentioned as front-runners to succeed Pope Francis, many of the clerics who will vote have not decided. During his first conclave, British Cardinal Vincent Nichols told Reuters, “My list is changing, and I think it will continue to change over the next few days.” “It’s a process for me that is far from finished, far from over.” As the cardinals are meeting this week in what are called “general congregations,” individual clerics can offer speeches to give their vision for the future of the global faith.During the 2013 conclave, it was in this period that Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio gave a speech that, by many accounts, deeply impressed his peers. He was elected as Francis a few days later. Nicholas, the highest-ranking Church official in England and Wales, stated that the speeches this time have again been crucial in forming opinions about who might be the next pope. “There’ll be these moments when like a stone is dropped into a pond and the ripples will go out and I’ll sit there thinking, ‘Ah, yeah, that’s important,’” said the cardinal.
Asked about whether there are cardinal front-runners who are more likely to become pope, Nichols replied: “I came with a few ideas … (and) they have changed.” Cardinal William Goh Seng Chye, the archbishop of Singapore, told Il Messaggero newspaper that he also did not know who the next pope might be. He stated, “It may appear strange, but we really do not know.” We don’t know because we haven’t started voting yet. The competition continues.
Cardinals have not made up minds on next pope despite some front-runners
