Choosing a new Pope: ‘Conclave is quite intimidating’

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales said that it will definitely not be the next pontiff, but expects the “intimidating” duty to choose the successor of Pope Francis.

After the death of Pope Francis, the next Pope will be chosen by the Cardinals College, who will meet for a tradition known as the conclave.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols will vote with more than 100 others, but he almost misses it, since he is just a few months from his 80th birthday, the age limit for voting rights.

The Archbishop of Westminster, born in Merseyside, said he thought “would happen to me” until he heard that the Pope was seriously ill and thought: “Oh, sir, this will come to me.”

The conclave, which begins traditional after a two -week mourning period, sees that the Cardinals College meets in the Vatican Sistine Chapel to cast a series of votes to choose the next Pope.

Theoretically, any baptized man can be chosen as Pope, but a cardinal, all of whom are serving the archbishops ordered by a pontiff, is chosen usefully.

There are currently 252 cardinals and, although everyone can participate in the debate on who should be chosen, voting age restrictions only 135 that are less than 80 can vote.

Cardinal Nichols, who leads six million Roman Catholics in England and Wales, told the BBC North West that “never thought” that he would vote because Pope Francis “did not show many signs of deceleration” and would stack. And Appared.

However, the suggestion played any suggestion of removing in the Vatican as the next Pope himself.

“I’m going home,” he said.

“You can be sure of that.”

The 79 -year -old archbishop, who was born in Crosby on the coast of Mersyside, said he had with Pope Francis several times in high -level meetings in Rome, but had two permanent special memories.

“One in particular has never left me,” he said.

“He told me:” From the moment of my choice as Pope, my peace has never left me. “

“Despite the pressure of everything you have to deal with, he has lived near God.”

Cardinal Nichols also said he had found memories of his last meeting two years ago.

He said an author had asked him to give a copy of his last book to Pope Francis.

“I gave him the book and said that the author was” very interested in that you could have this, “he said.

“He returned after lunch with a handwritten card and a copy of one of his own books for me to give a return gift.

“That was quite surprising.”

After the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, Cardinal Nichols will join his classmates to vote for the 267th Pontiff, which will lead to the 1400 million estimated Catholics in the world.

He said the perspective was “quite intimidating with frankness.”

He added that he believed that the cardinals “would better work one of the gates of the conclave that have been closed”, since at that time, there would be “a peace and a prayer among us.”

“I know that I have to gather and be a bit nuanced to all political maneuvers and bets of Paddy Power and all that and say ‘real, this is a group of one that tries to discern the will of God,” he said.

“That is the only thing that matters.”