VATICAN CITY – As Catholic cardinals hold their last meetings before the conclave on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 some prelates pray the new pontiff will follow Pope Francis’ way.
Following their eleventh general congregation on Monday afternoon, some cardinals told reporters and the faithful that they are “thinking and reflecting” to prepare for Wednesday’s papal election.
Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez of El Salvador voiced hope that the Holy Spirit will guide the cardinal electors.
He also dismissed the idea of being elected into the papacy and instead, offered a prayer to the cardinal who will be chosen as the next pope.
“My prayer for the new pope [is for him to] follow the way of Francis,” Cardinal Rosa Chavez, who is the auxiliary bishop of the San Salvador archdiocese, told the public.
GMA Integrated News also saw other prelates such as Singapore’s archbishop Cardinal William Goh Seng Chye and Brasilia’s former archbishop Cardinal João Braz de Aviz blessing tourists and the faithful on the way out of St. Peter’s Square.
Agenda during the 11th congregation
Cardinals discussed the issues on migration, ethnicism, and wars during their eleventh congregation held on Monday afternoon.
In a news advisory, the Holy See Press Office said cardinals “recogniz[e] migrants as a gift for the Church, but also highlight[ed] the urgency of accompanying them and supporting their faith in contexts of mobility and change.”
Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni added in a news briefing that some cardinals from areas affected by conflicts in Asia and Africa offered testimonies but did not specify their names.
When asked how cardinals could speak and choose topics to discuss in the congregations, Bruni said the prelates need to book a time slot and prepare a five-minute speech. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, officiates at the congregations.
Meanwhile, Bruni clarified information about communication among cardinals before and during the conclave. He said they have to hand over mobile devices to Casa Santa Marta staff. These devices would be returned only after the conclave.
“They could speak to each other, in theory,” Bruni said, adding that there was no “indication” or hard rules set for communication for the 2025 papal election. “They could even talk to each other and the gendarmerie during breaks.”
However, Bruni said cardinals are expected to understand deeply and abide by the provisions of the apostolic constitution — Universi Dominici Gregis — before, during, and after casting their vote.
He also shared that approximately 100 Casa Santa Marta support staff, or the employees helping with security, accommodation, food, and other services during the papal election, also took an oath of secrecy on Monday afternoon.
A press briefing will follow the twelfth general congregation, which began from 9:00 a.m. until noontime in the Vatican (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Manila). — with reports from Jay-vee Marasigan Pangan/BAP, GMA Integrated News
