Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church

The Legionaries of Christ ordained 23 new priests on May 3, 2025, at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Legionaries of Christ

ACI Prensa Staff, May 7, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

In the midst of the pre-conclave atmosphere, with an eye toward the election of the new pope, the Catholic Church experienced another moment of profound hope with the ordination of 23 new Legionaries of Christ priests on May 3 in St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica, one of the four great papal basilicas in Rome.

The ceremony, which was initially to be conducted by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, camerlengo of the Catholic Church, was delegated to Bishop Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cárdenas, Mexican bishop of the Diocese of Cancún-Chetumal, due to Farrell being engaged in his official duties at this crucial time for the Church.

A Church in full renewal

In his homily, Cárdenas emphasized the urgent need for priests “who know how to come out of themselves, out of their comfort zones. It needs priests, not men settled into their surroundings and living in comfort.”

He also emphasized that the Catholic Church is undergoing a full renewal process and requires priests who are “zealous and deeply rooted, courageous, not complacent or idle, who know how to undertake things, be active and take initiative, who know how to give everything for the mission.”

He therefore called on the new priests to dedicate their lives to prayer, reminding them that “a vocation is born in prayer, matures in prayer, and bears fruit in prayer.”

The priests come from various countries: one from Argentina, three from Colombia, one from El Salvador, nine from Mexico, two from Venezuela, one from the United States, and two from Brazil. From Europe, two were ordained from Germany, one from Spain, and one from France.

An increase in vocations

This day also marked a significant milestone for the Legionaries of Christ. According to its website, the congregation had 1,309 members at the end of 2024, of whom 1,033 are priests, 24 more than in 2023.

Mexico is the country that contributes the most members to the congregation, after the United States and Spain. The Legionaries of Christ’s formative process lasts 12 years before priestly ordination.

Currently, the congregation has a permanent presence in 23 countries and is organized into nine territories as well as two areas headed by a delegate. It also has a community of student priests in Rome, an International Pontifical Seminary in the same city, and an interdiocesan seminary and theological institute in São Paulo, Brazil.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

The Legionaries of Christ ordained 23 new priests on May 3, 2025, at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Legionaries of Christ

ACI Prensa Staff, May 7, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

In the midst of the pre-conclave atmosphere, with an eye toward the election of the new pope, the Catholic Church experienced another moment of profound hope with the ordination of 23 new Legionaries of Christ priests on May 3 in St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica, one of the four great papal basilicas in Rome.

The ceremony, which was initially to be conducted by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, camerlengo of the Catholic Church, was delegated to Bishop Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cárdenas, Mexican bishop of the Diocese of Cancún-Chetumal, due to Farrell being engaged in his official duties at this crucial time for the Church.

A Church in full renewal

In his homily, Cárdenas emphasized the urgent need for priests “who know how to come out of themselves, out of their comfort zones. It needs priests, not men settled into their surroundings and living in comfort.”

He also emphasized that the Catholic Church is undergoing a full renewal process and requires priests who are “zealous and deeply rooted, courageous, not complacent or idle, who know how to undertake things, be active and take initiative, who know how to give everything for the mission.”

He therefore called on the new priests to dedicate their lives to prayer, reminding them that “a vocation is born in prayer, matures in prayer, and bears fruit in prayer.”

The priests come from various countries: one from Argentina, three from Colombia, one from El Salvador, nine from Mexico, two from Venezuela, one from the United States, and two from Brazil. From Europe, two were ordained from Germany, one from Spain, and one from France.

An increase in vocations

This day also marked a significant milestone for the Legionaries of Christ. According to its website, the congregation had 1,309 members at the end of 2024, of whom 1,033 are priests, 24 more than in 2023.

Mexico is the country that contributes the most members to the congregation, after the United States and Spain. The Legionaries of Christ’s formative process lasts 12 years before priestly ordination.

Currently, the congregation has a permanent presence in 23 countries and is organized into nine territories as well as two areas headed by a delegate. It also has a community of student priests in Rome, an International Pontifical Seminary in the same city, and an interdiocesan seminary and theological institute in São Paulo, Brazil.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

The Sistine Chapel awaits the arrival of cardinal electors for the conclave to elect the next pope, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Newsroom, May 7, 2025 / 07:44 am (CNA).

The conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor will begin on May 7, as the Church enters the final preparatory phase for choosing its 267th pope.

Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:

The Sistine Chapel awaits the arrival of cardinal electors for the conclave to elect the next pope, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Newsroom, May 7, 2025 / 07:44 am (CNA).

The conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor will begin on May 7, as the Church enters the final preparatory phase for choosing its 267th pope.

Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:

Cardinals celebrate the sixth Novendiales Mass for Pope Francis on May 1, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 7, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

As online gambling continues to grow in the United States, mostly on sports and casino games, bookmakers have also opened betting markets for a variety of other contests, including the current papal conclave.

The College of Cardinals is now in the midst of a papal conclave to select the next earthly head of the Catholic Church in a solemn closed-door process. This conclave has attracted global interest from Catholics and non-Catholics alike, along with tens of millions of dollars’ worth of bets on the outcome.

Polymarket, a popular cryptocurrency-based betting platform, is overseeing more than $18 million worth of bets on the papal conclave. Another platform, Kalshi, is managing nearly $6.7 million.

The oddsmakers on Polymarket list Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin as the favorite to be selected with 27% odds and rank Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle at second with a 22% chance. The cardinals just below them include Matteo Zuppi at 11%, Pierbattista Pizzaballa at 10%, and Peter Erdo at 7%.

Bettors can “buy” a potential winner, which means they are betting on that person to be selected as the pope, or they can “sell,” which is a bet that the cardinal will not be chosen. The specific payouts for every bet depend on the odds set on the platform.

On Polymarket, more than $1.3 million has been placed on Tagle’s candidacy, and another $1.3 million has been bet on Dutch Cardinal Willem “Wim” Eijk, whom the oddsmakers give 1% odds. More than $1 million has also been placed on Parolin, Cardinal Peter Turkson, and Cardinal Robert Sarah each.

The uncertainty of papal conclaves

The limited knowledge of bookmakers and the general public, along with the secretiveness of the papal conclave process and the lack of public campaigning, contributes to uncertainties surrounding the real odds, or chances, that a specific person will emerge as pope.

Tom Nash, a contributing apologist for Catholic Answers, told CNA that it’s clear who “the most well-known cardinals are heading into the conclave,” but that does not necessarily show “how they stack up as papabili in the eyes of their fellow cardinal electors.”

“I think some cardinals who are faring well among the oddsmakers and media, including because of the prominent role they had under Pope Francis, may actually have less of a chance than some others who are considered long shots,” he said.

Nash noted that ahead of the 2003 papal conclave, Cardinal Angelo Scola was “a man whom many thought would continue the gains of Pope St. John Paul II … and Benedict XVI,” yet he “couldn’t muster the needed two-thirds majority.” The cardinals ultimately chose then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who took the papal name Francis.

Cardinals have already met in more than a week’s worth of pre-conclave congregations, but as Nash pointed out, those are not open to the public.

“The more public the process, the more likely cardinals can be negatively influenced by various means of coercion, including from political leaders,” he said. “And various parties have tried to influence the papal election process over the centuries.”

Nash noted that the 1996 apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis asks cardinals to refrain from receiving or sending messages outside of Vatican City during the election process and prohibits conclave participants from receiving newspapers, listening to the radio, or watching television.

The same document prohibits any “pact, agreement, promise, or other commitment of any kind” to vote for a specific person but does not prohibit the exchange of views before the election or discussions during the conclave that help arrive at a consensus.

“The pre-conclave congregations give the cardinal electors ample opportunity to gain needed information from their fellow electors,” Nash said. “And those who sought to publicly campaign for themselves or others can be sure they would undermine their own credibility and candidacy.”

Is it moral to bet on a papal conclave?

Some Catholics have called into question the morality of betting on the papal conclave.

Gambling on a papal conclave used to be expressly forbidden by the Vatican, but that rule is no longer in effect. Pope Gregory XIV forbade “under the pain of excommunication” any bets on the selection of a pope or the creation of cardinals through the papal bull Cogit Nos in 1591. A 1918 revision of canon law, however, did not formally carry over this ban and no new prohibition has been put into place.

Yet Nash still expressed reservations about gambling on a conclave.

“I think Catholics should prayerfully consider how we can best give witness regarding this 2025 conclave, including because of the solemnity of the event and the possible corruption, God forbid, betting could introduce into the conclave,” Nash said.

He added: “Our actions and related chatter could contribute to an occasion of sin for others, who might have more nefarious designs on the conclave and/or perhaps might bet more than they can afford.”

“While I understand that betting on a conclave is a tempting prospect, we don’t want to reduce this important event to the level of a mere sports competition — even more so because many American Christians and others worldwide are increasingly more religious in their devotion to their favorite sports than in living as committed disciples of Jesus Christ,” he added.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, gambling is not inherently “contrary to justice.” Yet, it becomes “morally unacceptable when [gambling deprives] someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others [or] the passion for gambling risks [becomes] an enslavement.”

Cardinals celebrate the sixth Novendiales Mass for Pope Francis on May 1, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 7, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

As online gambling continues to grow in the United States, mostly on sports and casino games, bookmakers have also opened betting markets for a variety of other contests, including the current papal conclave.

The College of Cardinals is now in the midst of a papal conclave to select the next earthly head of the Catholic Church in a solemn closed-door process. This conclave has attracted global interest from Catholics and non-Catholics alike, along with tens of millions of dollars’ worth of bets on the outcome.

Polymarket, a popular cryptocurrency-based betting platform, is overseeing more than $18 million worth of bets on the papal conclave. Another platform, Kalshi, is managing nearly $6.7 million.

The oddsmakers on Polymarket list Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin as the favorite to be selected with 27% odds and rank Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle at second with a 22% chance. The cardinals just below them include Matteo Zuppi at 11%, Pierbattista Pizzaballa at 10%, and Peter Erdo at 7%.

Bettors can “buy” a potential winner, which means they are betting on that person to be selected as the pope, or they can “sell,” which is a bet that the cardinal will not be chosen. The specific payouts for every bet depend on the odds set on the platform.

On Polymarket, more than $1.3 million has been placed on Tagle’s candidacy, and another $1.3 million has been bet on Dutch Cardinal Willem “Wim” Eijk, whom the oddsmakers give 1% odds. More than $1 million has also been placed on Parolin, Cardinal Peter Turkson, and Cardinal Robert Sarah each.

The uncertainty of papal conclaves

The limited knowledge of bookmakers and the general public, along with the secretiveness of the papal conclave process and the lack of public campaigning, contributes to uncertainties surrounding the real odds, or chances, that a specific person will emerge as pope.

Tom Nash, a contributing apologist for Catholic Answers, told CNA that it’s clear who “the most well-known cardinals are heading into the conclave,” but that does not necessarily show “how they stack up as papabili in the eyes of their fellow cardinal electors.”

“I think some cardinals who are faring well among the oddsmakers and media, including because of the prominent role they had under Pope Francis, may actually have less of a chance than some others who are considered long shots,” he said.

Nash noted that ahead of the 2003 papal conclave, Cardinal Angelo Scola was “a man whom many thought would continue the gains of Pope St. John Paul II … and Benedict XVI,” yet he “couldn’t muster the needed two-thirds majority.” The cardinals ultimately chose then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who took the papal name Francis.

Cardinals have already met in more than a week’s worth of pre-conclave congregations, but as Nash pointed out, those are not open to the public.

“The more public the process, the more likely cardinals can be negatively influenced by various means of coercion, including from political leaders,” he said. “And various parties have tried to influence the papal election process over the centuries.”

Nash noted that the 1996 apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis asks cardinals to refrain from receiving or sending messages outside of Vatican City during the election process and prohibits conclave participants from receiving newspapers, listening to the radio, or watching television.

The same document prohibits any “pact, agreement, promise, or other commitment of any kind” to vote for a specific person but does not prohibit the exchange of views before the election or discussions during the conclave that help arrive at a consensus.

“The pre-conclave congregations give the cardinal electors ample opportunity to gain needed information from their fellow electors,” Nash said. “And those who sought to publicly campaign for themselves or others can be sure they would undermine their own credibility and candidacy.”

Is it moral to bet on a papal conclave?

Some Catholics have called into question the morality of betting on the papal conclave.

Gambling on a papal conclave used to be expressly forbidden by the Vatican, but that rule is no longer in effect. Pope Gregory XIV forbade “under the pain of excommunication” any bets on the selection of a pope or the creation of cardinals through the papal bull Cogit Nos in 1591. A 1918 revision of canon law, however, did not formally carry over this ban and no new prohibition has been put into place.

Yet Nash still expressed reservations about gambling on a conclave.

“I think Catholics should prayerfully consider how we can best give witness regarding this 2025 conclave, including because of the solemnity of the event and the possible corruption, God forbid, betting could introduce into the conclave,” Nash said.

He added: “Our actions and related chatter could contribute to an occasion of sin for others, who might have more nefarious designs on the conclave and/or perhaps might bet more than they can afford.”

“While I understand that betting on a conclave is a tempting prospect, we don’t want to reduce this important event to the level of a mere sports competition — even more so because many American Christians and others worldwide are increasingly more religious in their devotion to their favorite sports than in living as committed disciples of Jesus Christ,” he added.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, gambling is not inherently “contrary to justice.” Yet, it becomes “morally unacceptable when [gambling deprives] someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others [or] the passion for gambling risks [becomes] an enslavement.”

Cardinal electors in their distinctive red vestments attend the Mass for the election of the Supreme Pontiff at St. Peter's Basilica on May 7. / Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, May 7, 2025 / 05:27 am (CNA).

At the Mass for the election of a new pope, the dean of the College of Cardinals made “a strong call to maintain the unity of the Church” ahead of the conclave on Wednesday, urging the cardinal electors to remember that they will cast their votes in the Sistine Chapel before God “in whose sight each person will one day be judged.”

Cardinals from more than 70 countries processed into St. Peter’s Basilica on May 7 for the solemn Mass “Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice” — the Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff— ahead of the start of the conclave later in the day.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the liturgy, underlining the need for unity in the Church. “Among the tasks of every successor of Peter is that of fostering communion: communion of all Christians with Christ; communion of the bishops with the pope; communion of the bishops among themselves,” he said.

“The unity of the Church is willed by Christ; a unity that does not mean uniformity, but a firm and profound communion in diversity, provided that full fidelity to the Gospel is maintained,” he added.

More than 200 cardinals concelebrated the Mass, including many of the 133 eligible to vote for the next pope. Although Re led the liturgy and delivered the homily, he will not participate in the conclave due to his age.

“We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore his light and strength so that the pope elected may be he whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history,” Re said.

“Let us pray that God will grant the Church a Pope who knows how best to awaken the consciences of all and the moral and spiritual energies in today’s society, characterized by great technological progress but which tends to forget God,” he added.

The Mass for the Election of a Roman Pontiff began with the entrance antiphon, “I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to my heart and mind.”  In the collect prayer, the cardinal asked God for “a pastor for your Church who will please you by his holiness and to us show watchful care.”

Scripture readings included passages from Isaiah 61, Psalm 88, Ephesians 4:11-16, and chapter 15 of the Gospel of John. The Gospel, proclaimed in Latin, included Jesus’ words to his disciples: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.”

In his homily, Cardinal Re reflected on the “highest human and ecclesial responsibility” facing the cardinal electors and called upon them to remember that they will cast their votes in the Sistine Chapel in “the presence of God, in whose sight each person will one day be judged.”

“Pope John Paul II, in his Roman Triptych, expressed the hope that during the hours of voting on this weighty decision, Michelangelo’s looming image of Jesus the Judge would remind everyone of the greatness of the responsibility of placing the ‘supreme keys’ (Dante) in the correct hands,” Re said.

“Let us pray, then, that the Holy Spirit, who in the last hundred years has given us a series of truly holy and great Pontiffs, will give us a new Pope according to God’s heart for the good of the Church and of humanity,” he added.

Prayers of the faithful during the Mass were offered in French, Swahili, Portuguese, Malayalam, Chinese, and German, asking the Lord to fill the cardinal electors with his Holy Spirit “with understanding and good counsel, wisdom and discernment.”

In the prayer after communion, Cardinal Re prayed, “may the wondrous grace of your majesty gladden us with the gift of a shepherd who will instruct your people by his virtues and imbue the minds of the faithful with the truth of the Gospel.”

At the end of the Mass, the cardinals and congregation sang the Regina Caeli, the traditional Easter hymn to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The liturgy marked the final public act of the College of Cardinals before entering into the secretive conclave process. Later in the afternoon, the 133 electors will gather in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace for prayer before processing to the Sistine Chapel, where the conclave will begin.

After taking an oath of secrecy and invoking the Holy Spirit with the singing of Veni Creator, they will listen to a meditation by Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa before casting the first vote. While a new pope could theoretically be chosen on the first ballot, such a result is considered unlikely.

Following the vote, the cardinals will return to the Casa Santa Marta residence for the night, cut off from the outside world until a new pope is elected.

“May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, intercede with her maternal intercession, so that the Holy Spirit will enlighten the minds of the Cardinal electors and help them agree on the pope that our time needs,” Re said.

Cardinal electors in their distinctive red vestments attend the Mass for the election of the Supreme Pontiff at St. Peter's Basilica on May 7. / Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, May 7, 2025 / 05:27 am (CNA).

At the Mass for the election of a new pope, the dean of the College of Cardinals made “a strong call to maintain the unity of the Church” ahead of the conclave on Wednesday, urging the cardinal electors to remember that they will cast their votes in the Sistine Chapel before God “in whose sight each person will one day be judged.”

Cardinals from more than 70 countries processed into St. Peter’s Basilica on May 7 for the solemn Mass “Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice” — the Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff— ahead of the start of the conclave later in the day.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the liturgy, underlining the need for unity in the Church. “Among the tasks of every successor of Peter is that of fostering communion: communion of all Christians with Christ; communion of the bishops with the pope; communion of the bishops among themselves,” he said.

“The unity of the Church is willed by Christ; a unity that does not mean uniformity, but a firm and profound communion in diversity, provided that full fidelity to the Gospel is maintained,” he added.

More than 200 cardinals concelebrated the Mass, including many of the 133 eligible to vote for the next pope. Although Re led the liturgy and delivered the homily, he will not participate in the conclave due to his age.

“We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore his light and strength so that the pope elected may be he whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history,” Re said.

“Let us pray that God will grant the Church a Pope who knows how best to awaken the consciences of all and the moral and spiritual energies in today’s society, characterized by great technological progress but which tends to forget God,” he added.

The Mass for the Election of a Roman Pontiff began with the entrance antiphon, “I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to my heart and mind.”  In the collect prayer, the cardinal asked God for “a pastor for your Church who will please you by his holiness and to us show watchful care.”

Scripture readings included passages from Isaiah 61, Psalm 88, Ephesians 4:11-16, and chapter 15 of the Gospel of John. The Gospel, proclaimed in Latin, included Jesus’ words to his disciples: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.”

In his homily, Cardinal Re reflected on the “highest human and ecclesial responsibility” facing the cardinal electors and called upon them to remember that they will cast their votes in the Sistine Chapel in “the presence of God, in whose sight each person will one day be judged.”

“Pope John Paul II, in his Roman Triptych, expressed the hope that during the hours of voting on this weighty decision, Michelangelo’s looming image of Jesus the Judge would remind everyone of the greatness of the responsibility of placing the ‘supreme keys’ (Dante) in the correct hands,” Re said.

“Let us pray, then, that the Holy Spirit, who in the last hundred years has given us a series of truly holy and great Pontiffs, will give us a new Pope according to God’s heart for the good of the Church and of humanity,” he added.

Prayers of the faithful during the Mass were offered in French, Swahili, Portuguese, Malayalam, Chinese, and German, asking the Lord to fill the cardinal electors with his Holy Spirit “with understanding and good counsel, wisdom and discernment.”

In the prayer after communion, Cardinal Re prayed, “may the wondrous grace of your majesty gladden us with the gift of a shepherd who will instruct your people by his virtues and imbue the minds of the faithful with the truth of the Gospel.”

At the end of the Mass, the cardinals and congregation sang the Regina Caeli, the traditional Easter hymn to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The liturgy marked the final public act of the College of Cardinals before entering into the secretive conclave process. Later in the afternoon, the 133 electors will gather in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace for prayer before processing to the Sistine Chapel, where the conclave will begin.

After taking an oath of secrecy and invoking the Holy Spirit with the singing of Veni Creator, they will listen to a meditation by Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa before casting the first vote. While a new pope could theoretically be chosen on the first ballot, such a result is considered unlikely.

Following the vote, the cardinals will return to the Casa Santa Marta residence for the night, cut off from the outside world until a new pope is elected.

“May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, intercede with her maternal intercession, so that the Holy Spirit will enlighten the minds of the Cardinal electors and help them agree on the pope that our time needs,” Re said.

Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio, archbishop of Bogota, Colombia. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

ACI Prensa Staff, May 7, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

Colombian Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio pointed out that the atmosphere among the cardinals is “quite different” from what people who associate a papal conclave “with a democratic election of a president” may imagine.

From Rome, where he is participating as a cardinal elector, the archbishop of Bogotá explained in a video from the Colombian Bishops’ Conference how the College of Cardinals is experiencing the days leading up to the beginning of the Wednesday, May 7, conclave. 

“It’s a very different atmosphere than what most people might imagine, because some associate it with the democratic election of a president, a leader of a country or territory, but it turns out not to be the case. It’s characterized by an atmosphere of prayer from beginning to end,” he stated.

“The great protagonist is the Holy Spirit. He is the one who leads, he is the one who holds the reins of the history of the Church,” he added.

Starting Wednesday, 133 cardinal electors from 71 countries are gathering in the Sistine Chapel, making this conclave the largest and most universal in the history of the Catholic Church.

In this regard, the cardinal archbishop said the preceeding days of holding general congregations have served to help the cardinals get to know one another.

Rueda also remembered the late Pope Francis as “a mature fruit of the evangelization of Latin America” and the experience of “those bishops close to the parish communities, to all the people who experience the hope of the Latin American people, which they place in Christ Jesus and in the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

Finally, Rueda asked the faithful to continue praying that the election of the next pope “may be according to the will of God the Father.”

“This moment is a moment of the Church, and whoever it may be, he is the chosen one of the Lord, he is the chosen one of Jesus Christ the Lord,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio, archbishop of Bogota, Colombia. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

ACI Prensa Staff, May 7, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

Colombian Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio pointed out that the atmosphere among the cardinals is “quite different” from what people who associate a papal conclave “with a democratic election of a president” may imagine.

From Rome, where he is participating as a cardinal elector, the archbishop of Bogotá explained in a video from the Colombian Bishops’ Conference how the College of Cardinals is experiencing the days leading up to the beginning of the Wednesday, May 7, conclave. 

“It’s a very different atmosphere than what most people might imagine, because some associate it with the democratic election of a president, a leader of a country or territory, but it turns out not to be the case. It’s characterized by an atmosphere of prayer from beginning to end,” he stated.

“The great protagonist is the Holy Spirit. He is the one who leads, he is the one who holds the reins of the history of the Church,” he added.

Starting Wednesday, 133 cardinal electors from 71 countries are gathering in the Sistine Chapel, making this conclave the largest and most universal in the history of the Catholic Church.

In this regard, the cardinal archbishop said the preceeding days of holding general congregations have served to help the cardinals get to know one another.

Rueda also remembered the late Pope Francis as “a mature fruit of the evangelization of Latin America” and the experience of “those bishops close to the parish communities, to all the people who experience the hope of the Latin American people, which they place in Christ Jesus and in the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

Finally, Rueda asked the faithful to continue praying that the election of the next pope “may be according to the will of God the Father.”

“This moment is a moment of the Church, and whoever it may be, he is the chosen one of the Lord, he is the chosen one of Jesus Christ the Lord,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.