The Portuguese Cardinal Manuel Clemente, one of the 133 cardinal electors in the conclave that elected Pope XVI, stated on Thursday that there was already “a more or less outlined profile of what the Church expected of the new Pope” and emphasized a set of “circumstances that foresee a happy pontificate.”
“The cardinals had the opportunity to speak, to share their opinions and ideas, and their expectations. They brought the expectations of their lands, their countries, their cultures. Hence, when we arrived at these conclave days, we had already had a lot of conversations and a more or less outlined profile of what the Church expected of the new Pope,” he indicated during a press conference, adding that this “explains why it was possible to reach an election in two days.”
“Everything ran in a very calm, very amicable manner,” he highlighted.
Manuel Clemente further explained that the delay in the appearance of the first black smoke on Wednesday was due to the fact that they did not start voting immediately, as they began by listening to “a lengthy exposition on the Pope’s role.”
“We began by listening to Cardinal Cantalamessa delivering a lengthy, very well-executed exposition on the Pope’s role in current times, within the Church and from the Church to the world,” he said, adding that “the voting is relatively lengthy because it is done one by one.”
The cardinal also considered that the new Pope has “a set of very conducive circumstances” for his role, noting that, although he is “American by birth,” he holds other nationalities and has performed various roles within the Catholic Church.
“He is said to be a man of listening, well-trained in his capacity to welcome calmly and serenely what others say. There is a set of circumstances that foresee a happy pontificate,” he added.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, aged 69, was elected Pope on Thursday after two days of conclave in Vatican City and assumed the name Leo XIV. Born in Chicago, United States, the new Pope belongs to the Order of Saint Augustine.
Leo XIV succeeds Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88.
