‘Cardinals in conclave to discover Holy Spirit’s chosen pope’
(INQUIRER.net / Faith Argosino)
MANILA, Philippines — Cardinal electors should not think the conclave is for them but to discover who among them will be chosen as the next head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, according to Msgr. Rolando dela Cruz, Rector of the Manila Cathedral.
During the mass for the election of the new pope on Wednesday, Msgr. dela Cruz likened the conclave to the mission of Jesus Christ, who came to the world and died on the cross, knowing that the mission was not about him but to fulfill the will of his Father.
“We are gathered in this eucharistic table this afternoon, as I said earlier, to pray for the cardinal electors. Today in Rome, in the Vatican, they will enter the conclave, the process by which the successor of St. Peter, the one who will replace Pope Francis, will be elected,” Msgr. dela Cruz said.
“And just like the three points that I introduced earlier, it should be clear that no cardinal should think that this is for him; the role of the cardinals is to discover who among them is being sent,” he added.
Msgr. dela Cruz also reiterated that the next pope has already been chosen by the Holy Spirit and the task of the cardinal electors now is “to try to discover who among them has been chosen” to be a “shepherd who will lead the flock closer to the Lord.”
“And whoever is chosen to be the successor of St. Peter is to do the will of God, it is not to promote a certain ideology, it is not a matter between the progressive and conservative, it is not a struggle or fight between the liberal and the traditionalists.”
“No pope is chosen to represent certain interests; the pope is chosen to do the will of the Father so that by doing so, people will be led closer to God to attain eternal life,” he added.
On Wednesday, 133 cardinal electors, under the age of 80 gathered at the Vatican from five continents to pick a successor to Pope Francis, who died last month after a 12-year papacy.
Last April 21, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis died at 88.
