PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos arrived yesterday from the Vatican, where they attended the funeral of Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square last Saturday.
The First Couple left Thursday night for the Vatican to convey the Philippines’ prayers and condolences. They joined world leaders and the Catholic faithful in paying their final respects to Pope Francis.
Meanwhile, Roman Catholic cardinals will begin their secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global Church on May 7, the Vatican said on Monday, confirming what a source had previously told Reuters.
The date was decided during a closed-door meeting of cardinals at the Vatican, the first since the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday.
Some 135 cardinals, all under the age of 80 and from across the world, are eligible to take part in the conclave and decide who should be the next leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church.
The 16th-century Sistine Chapel, where conclaves are held, was closed to tourists on Monday to allow for preparations.
The First Couple attended the Funeral Mass for the Pope at St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, which was also attended by other world leaders, including United States President Donald Trump.
The First Lady, in her social media account, shared that before their return, she and the President spent some time “strolling through the streets of Rome” and had a “post-anniversary dinner” last April 26.
A video posted in the same account also showed the President shaking hands with Trump.
The new leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church faces a myriad of problems. Likely issues include finances with the Vatican having a big budget shortfall and a growing pension hole.
Church attendance is sliding in many Western countries, and doctrinal debates over issues like ordaining women as clergy and LGBTQ Catholic inclusion portend coming divisions.
The past two conclaves, in 2005 and 2013, lasted just two days. Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius said on Monday he expects this conclave may take longer, as many of the cardinals appointed by Pope Francis have never met each other before.
Francis made a priority of appointing cardinals from places that had never had them, such as Myanmar, Haiti, and Rwanda.
“We don’t know each other,” said Arborelius, one of about 135 cardinals under the age of 80 who will enter the conclave.
Francis, pope since 2013, died aged 88 on April 21. His funeral on Saturday and a procession through Rome to his burial place at the Basilica of St. Mary Major attracted crowds estimated at more than 400,000.
German Cardinal Walter Kasper told La Repubblica newspaper that the outpouring of mourners for Francis indicated that Catholics wanted the next pope to continue with his reforming style of papacy.
Francis, the first pope from Latin America, largely tried to open up the often-staid Church to new conversations. He allowed debate on issues such as ordaining women as clergy and outreach to LGBTQ Catholics.
“The People of God voted with their feet,” said Kasper, who is 92 and will not take part in the conclave. “I am convinced that we must go ahead in the footsteps of Francis.”
However, a bloc of conservative cardinals is certain to push back against this and seek a pope who reasserts traditions and restricts Francis’ vision of a more inclusive Church.
