Cardinal Américo Aguiar, one of the four Portuguese cardinals set to participate in the conclave to elect the new Pope, has made headlines in Ireland after teasing an Irish journalist at the Vatican.
Richard Chambers of Virgin Media News Ireland recounted his unexpected encounter with the cardinal.
The journalist was sitting on a curb at the Vatican, speaking on his mobile phone, when a man who appeared to be a priest sat beside him.
“Is this the waiting room?” Cardinal Américo Aguiar jokingly asked Richard Chambers.
After ending the call, the journalist engaged the supposed priest in conversation and discovered he was Portuguese.
Upon learning that Richard was from Ireland, Américo Aguiar asked a surprising question: “Are you from Ireland ‘God Save the King’ [a reference to Northern Ireland] or Ireland ‘Saint Patrick’ [the patron saint of the country]?”
“I’m from Saint Patrick Ireland,” replied Richard. “Ah, the good Ireland,” the Portuguese cardinal reportedly teased, according to the journalist.
At one point, Richard asked the Bishop of Setúbal how long he had been in Rome. That’s when Cardinal Américo Aguiar, now also seated on the sidewalk, showed him his ring and admitted he was a “cardinal.”
With the journalist’s astonishment evident, the bishop requested that he “remain quiet” and hurried away. Before departing, he simply remarked that Richard was a “good chap.”
It is noteworthy that Cardinal Américo Aguiar is among those participating in the Conclave to elect the next Pope. Therefore, besides voting, he could potentially be elected. This prompted the Irish television channel to title the account: “Did Richard meet the next Pope?”
Cardinal Américo Aguiar Suspends Social Media
On Sunday, Cardinal Américo Aguiar suspended his social media accounts, where he has thousands of followers.
The decision was reportedly made for “reasons of isolation and reflection”, at a time when preparatory meetings for electing the next Pope are underway.
The Bishop of Setúbal is highly active on social media, particularly on Facebook and Instagram, sharing photographs and videos.
On Saturday, the Portuguese cardinal shared an image of Pope Francis’s casket at the conclusion of the funeral ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Earlier, he had shared a photo of himself with two other cardinals, describing them as part of “Pope Francis’s Youth.”
