Cardinal O’Brien remembers Pope Francis as leader who made big impact

Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien, former archbishop of Baltimore and retired grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher based at the Vatican, remembered Pope Francis as a leader whose years in office had a major impact.

“He’s obviously made great changes in the church and they’re going to outlive him and certainly be a challenge and a message for his successor, whoever that’s going to be,” said the cardinal, who still has an apartment in Rome.

Cardinal O’Brien said that Pope Francis was always “most cordial” when he met with him. “I feel I could call on him for any, any necessity, really. He’s very open and very cordial, so I’m grateful for that.”

Cardinal O’Brien was present at the Vatican when Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation and participated in the conclave that elected Pope Francis. Before the conclave, the cardinals meet for a few days, with each having an opportunity to speak for five minutes. The questions they addressed focused on the state of the local church the cardinal represented, the state and needs of the universal church, and the kind of pope the church was looking for, without any names being mentioned or campaigning.

“That was an important few days because there’s a chance to get to read the minds of other people,” he said. “It’s going to be extremely important this time because there are so many new cardinals from faraway places who have not gotten together yet, and there’s no predicting what their own sense of church or the future church, or what their reaction has been to the pontificate of Francis. So, they will be particularly important days, crucial days leading up to the conclave itself.”

Of the 135 cardinals currently eligible to vote in a conclave, five were created cardinal by Pope St. John Paul II and 23 were created by Benedict XVI. Cardinal O’Brien was elevated to the cardinalate by Pope Benedict. At age 86, he is ineligible to vote, although he can participate in the general congregations before the voting cardinals move into the conclave.

While serving as head of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Cardinal O’Brien witnessed the deep concern the pope held for Christians in the Holy Land, whom the Order is dedicated to supporting.

“He certainly spoke out about peace and the need for peace and justice for all there,” where Christians represent about 2 percent of the population, with the rest being Muslim. “Nonetheless, he was a supporter of human rights right across the board and I think that is evidenced in his support of Cardinal [Pierbattista] Pizzaballa [Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem] and his openness to meeting with leaders in the Middle East. 

“I think one of his accomplishments has been bridging the gap between – or that might have existed between – Muslims and Christians. In his travels, he never fails to cite them and to dialogue with them. And I think that has been especially helpful in the role the church should be playing and is playing day-to-day in bringing about a peaceful solution there,” Cardinal O’Brien said.

Email Christopher Gunty at editor@CatholicReview.org

Also see

With Laudato Si’, Pope Francis firmly planted ecology into Catholic social teaching

U.S. pilgrims to Havana recall Francis’ impact in Cuba 10 years after visit

Radio Interview: Meet the Mount St. Mary’s graduate who served as a lector at papal funeral

Georgetown’s final ‘Francis Factor’ panel remembers late pope’s legacy

Francis’ final gift to Gaza: Popemobile will be transformed into mobile clinic for children

Final preparations, discussions underway before conclave begins

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