The focus for the Catholic Church now shifts to selecting Pope Francis' successor. The conclave will begin a week from Wednesday. Some 135 cardinals, all under 80 years old, are eligible to vote in the secretive process.
80% of those cardinals were appointed by Pope Francis, meaning this will be their first conclave. It's unclear how long the vote will take. The previous two conclaves lasted only two days each.
RELATED | St. James Cathedral in Seattle was a beacon for Catholics on April 28 as they gathered to remember and to mourn Pope Francis. Archbishop Etienne of the Archdiocese of Seattle led a special Requiem Mass at St. James to honor the pontiff. After the service, he told KOMO News that there are a number of Pope Francis' priorities that he'd like to see continue.
But Archbishop Etienne insisted that right now, only god knows who the next pope will be and that he will be "praying earnestly" that the Cardinals will be led by the Holy Spirit. Monday's mass was packed with parishioners, bells tolled, communion offered, and prayers said for the beloved "People's Pope" as Francis was known. The Monday mass was a time to mourn and to celebrate the life and legacy of the , a day after a day after his public appearance at St. Peter's Square to bless the faithful on Easter Sunday.
"Pope Francis was a pope of and for and with the people," said the Archbishop, "He immediately started kind of breaking barriers of just wanting to be out and be with the people. And that's the first thing that I'll always remember about him, a very humble pastor, a very joyful Shepherd, someone who challenged all of us to open our hearts to God's people and to move beyond our indifference." What Archbishop Etienne hopes to see in the next pope "Well, there are certainly a lot of things, priorities, visions of pope Francis that i would love to see continue, said the Etienne, "Our world needs that credible moral voice and guidance today, not that the pope is telling world leaders what to do, but that he is there as a guide and reminding all of our world leaders and people what the values are of the dignity."
He not only met the Pope, but said he was chosen as a delegate, part of a global gathering of bishops, archbishops, and lay people to discuss global issues. Catholic delegates from all over the world were invited to Rome. "I was very shocked when I woke up that July morning to see the Pope had named me as a delegate, and I was very pleased to be a part of it.
It is always a fascinating experience to see people from around the world come together, and in this particular Synod, where the pope expanded the membership beyond bishops to lay men and women and not only as participants, but as ones with a vote," said the Archbishop. He also offered a special memory he had with the Pope, which he believes speaks to the pontiff's humility and approachability. It happened while he was in Rome as a delegate, and he was waiting to meet the Pope.
"I was just amazed at his generosity of time. I was the last person in line at the end of a very long day, and I know he would have preferred that I had not come up, probably because he really wanted to leave, but he couldn't have been more personable," said the Archbishop. He noted that after serving under three Popes, he learned each is unique and brings their own individual self, with their own unique gifts, at a unique period in time in history that the Holy Spirit calls to service to meet the needs of the church and the world at that time.
"I pray that this next pope can command that kind of credible authority to help our world heal from the many wars and divisions and polarization and indifference that we're experiencing today," the Archbishop said.
