Conclave: cardinals take time in choosing Pope

The optimism of the past few hours is slowing down: the cardinals are realising that they need more time to find a consensus among themselves on the lines of the post-Francisco Church, but above all on the figure who will have to take his place. At the exit of the general congregation, there are several cardinals who stress the need to talk and discuss further. According to leaks, the climate is good, as they also officially say. But there are many and very different cardinals in this conclave, as never before. And so a solution is not, at least at the moment, around the corner. Meanwhile, in this morning's congregation it was decided that Monday 5 May will be doubled, with two congregations, both in the morning at 9 a.m. and in the afternoon at 5 p.m., as reported by the director of the Vatican press room Matteo Bruni. For Tuesday 6, at the moment, only the morning congregation remains, but it is not certain that it will be decided to double on this day as well, which is then the day of the eve of the start of the conclave.

Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti uses a joking metaphor with the journalists to make it clear that time is still needed: "We are flowers, a little to be watered, but we are flowers". Asked if there will be a shared name for the new pope as early as Wednesday 7 May, on leaving the congregation he replied: 'Wednesday how? It is after Wednesday that it must blossom'. Then he added: 'Who knows, the Holy Spirit plays tricks, we never know, we need a lot of water'.

"There are 133 names, everything is open," commented the cardinal of Santiago de Chile, Fernando Natalio Chomali Garib. Other cardinals coming out make it clear that at the moment there is no consensus on a figure to succeed Francis "but there will be", they say confidently. "We are not ready," says the cardinal of Algiers Jean-Paul Vesco with disarming sincerity. "We need a little more time to pray together but I am sure we will be ready when the time is right. We will give the Church the Pope that the Lord has chosen,' says the marathon runner cardinal used to running long distances.

"The Pope's profile will emerge from the dialogue between cardinals. The divisions between alignments are simplifications inspired by political criteria," Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco stressed in an interview with Qn. The need for discussion, even informal, in small groups or around a table, means that not all the cardinals will celebrate mass tomorrow in the Roman parish in which they are incardinated, as is tradition. At the moment, a few parishes have given indications to this effect.

And while in the Sistine Chapel and in the two hotels that will host the cardinals, Santa Marta and Santa Marta Vecchia, preparations are in full swing for the solemn moment that will lead to the choice of the new Pope, the mystery remains of the cardinal electors, to date two, who have not yet arrived in Rome. Since they have not officially announced their absence, the cardinal electors remain 133 and the quorum to be elected Pope is still 89. The cardinals will arrive at Santa Marta from the evening of Tuesday 6 May to the morning of Wednesday 7 May, before the start of the 'pro eligendo' mass. As for the costs of the conclave, something not insignificant at a time when the Vatican's coffers are suffering, the Holy See will in any case be responsible for them and there will be no 'sponsors', as spokesman Bruni pointed out.