(VATICAN CITY) — One day after the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from the U.S., seven American cardinals sat down with reporters on Friday to discuss the Chicago native who now leads the Roman Catholic Church and how he will follow the footsteps of Pope Francis, but not as a “photocopy.”
The cardinals that gathered — Daniel DiNardo, Timothy Dolan, Joseph Tobin, Blase Cupich, Wilton Gregory, Robert McElroy and Christophe Pierre — agreed that all members of the clergy worked effectively together to elect a pontiff that would follow Pope Francis, who died on April 21.
“It was an amazing opportunity to see such a diverse assembly of humanity coming from many different perspectives, facing many different challenges, but coming together for a common purpose to find Peter’s successor, and I think we did well,” Gregory, the archbishop emeritus of Washington, said during the press conference at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.
Several of the cardinals admitted they were surprised an American was selected, including Robert McElroy — archbishop of Washington — who “always thought it would be impossible.”
But Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said he did not think the fact that Leo was from the U.S. “carried much weight” in the decision to elect him as the 267th leader of the church.
He also suggested that Leo’s election wasn’t a reaction to President Donald Trump.
“I don’t think at all my brother cardinals would have thought of him as a counterweight to any one person,” he said.
Regarding remarks made earlier by Cardinal Maung Bo — who said Leo will “build a bridge” with Trump — Dolan said the new pontiff will instead “build bridges with leaders of every nation.”
Dolan said Leo’s potential meeting with Trump would “not be of more heft” than conversations with other world leaders.
Overall, Gregory — who agreed with Dolan’s suggestion that American politics had nothing to do with the decision to elect Leo — told reporters the cardinals were attempting to elect someone who could lead the Catholic Church and could answer these questions: “Who among us can bring us together? Who among us can strengthen the faith and bring the faith to places it has grown weak?”
During the conclave itself, Gregory said Leo engaged in conversations with members of the clergy in “smaller groups,” specifically during meal times and coffee breaks.
“It wasn’t like he got up and made an overwhelmingly convincing speech that wowed the body,” Gregory said.
Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, said it was not the substance of what Leo said during the conclave, but the “manner in which he said it” that resonated with the cardinals.
Tobin, archbishop of Newark, described a moment during the conclave, when he saw Leo, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, with “his head in his hands” after realizing he could possibly become pope.
“I was praying for him, because I couldn’t imagine what happens to a human being when you’re facing something like that, and then when he accepted it, it was like he was made for it,” Tobin said. “All of whatever anguish was resolved by the feeling that, I think, that this wasn’t simply his saying yes to a proposal, but God would make something clear.”
The clergy also noticed that Leo had the mind of Pope Benedict and the “missionary zeal” of Francis, Dolan said. Similarly, McElroy said Leo has the “same type of freedom that is in his heart and soul that was in Francis,” but the new pontiff may not express that freedom in the same manner.
“We are looking for someone following the pathway, but we are not looking for a photocopy,” McElroy said.
Gregory, who said he spoke to Leo during the conclave about how they are both from Chicago, advised the world to give the new pope patience as he grows into this role, joking that he has only been in this position for a day.
“He’s never been pope before,” Gregory said. “Pope Leo will surprise us as he brings his gifts, confronts the challenges and responds in grace to the needs of the church.”
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